All classes have essays due tomorrow.

Section 1 will have time to type in the library, but I expect to see a draft of the essay done by the end of the period.  I have provided all the guidance I could.  Please see past posts and below.

Sections 2 and 3 have their narratives due tomorrow or Thursday.  There is a chorus trip, so many students will be absent.  Please remember to submit the piece to the online scoring site as well.

Today:

• In sections 2 and 3 we have our first discussion about the topic of reality.  It was pretty deep and hard to grasp.  Tomorrow's topic asks if family is still relevant in today's world.
• In sections 2 and 3, I did one last study of The Chase by Annie Dillard.  Just like the movie Inception, we tried to go deeper!  When we finally got to the level I wanted, the students had this look on their face like "really?"  Basically, the older woman has written a story about when her seven year old self learned about the differences between adults and children.  But think about it.  This is the older woman looking back at the seven year old, yet she is now the adult the seven year old was learning about when young.  The more we read it, the more we sense the loss of that childhood view of the world.  
• We also played a fun game using the vocab words.

Section 1 essay brainstorming from today:

The essay topic is How do the setting, characters, and plot impact the theme of Raymond’s Run?  I think the students were having trouble seeing how to examine this, so I had them brainstorm the following changes to the story.  If these changes are made, the theme of the story would be difficult to convey. 

Here is the introduction I gave the students:

Tony Cade Bambara wrote the story Raymond’s Run.  The setting, characters, and plot are important to the theme of the story: You shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. If anything were changed, the story would not be as good.

How would these changes to the PLOT lessen the impact of the theme?

•       Raymond doesn’t run with her?

•       Gretchen wins the race?

How would these changes to the SETTING lessen the impact of the theme?

•       The setting is at school and not the May Day Race?

•       Squeaky is still living in the country in 1950?

How would these changes to the CHARACTERS lessen the impact of the theme?

•       Squeaky has no brother to care for?

•       Squeaky is still friends with Rosie?

•       Squeaky is white?