Write a letter to the author in which you:
Fiction or Non-Fiction
on the American Experience
No biography
Every Book must be Approved by Mr. Gorey
students could work on the same book
students need to learn and explain:
Author’s Intent?
students need to:
1. Pick a book
2. write a letter to the author which includes (CONTENT IS NECESSARY BUT THE STRUCTURE IS UP TO YOU):
Paragraph 1: -introduction which makes a personal connection with the author (Dear. Mr. Paulsen, when I read your book “Soldier’s Heart” it really helped me understand my uncle’s struggle with post-traumatic stress disorder.”)
Paragraphs 2, 3:
-develop the personal connection in more depth, ask questions you would like to know the answers to, evaluate the relevance to you own life or society: are themes still important? Why?
Paragraphs 4, 5-evidence of understanding the author’s craft and how it relates to his/her intent purpose): comment on style issues such as vocabulary/diction, use of figurative language, humor, tone, syntax, irony, etc. (the packet of literary terms helps with style techniques)
-Last paragraph: finish your letter in a memorable way, indicating that you would really enjoy hearing back from your author answers to your questions. Thank the author for taking the time to read your letter.
-use at least quotations, parenthetically cited, to support your points
[SAMPLE OPENING PARAGRAPH, IF I WERE WRITING TO MARK TWAIN]
Dear Mr. Twain:
I am an English teacher in Boothbay Harbor, Maine, and I have been reading your novel Huck Finn with my students. Some relevant background about me regarding the issue of slavery and the regions in your novel includes my growing up in southeast Virginia, where I attended a large high school in which a significant population was African American. One of the things I really enjoy about your book is the way you attempt to realistically capture the regional speech of your characters’ dialects. I grew up listening to similar dialects all around me: they differed from the accents and language choices of my parents who were from New York.
One of the issues which we discuss a lot in class is, of course, your choice of including the word “nigger” 219 times, as well as the word “injun.” While the African American population in Maine is scant for sure, there are several native American tribes who have called this area home for centuries and we now find ourselves witnessing a controversy at a neighboring school over the choice of “redskin” as their mascot.
WHY DO YOU USE SO MUCH IRONY? WAS YOUR AUDIENCE LITERATE ENOUGH TO UNDERSTAND THIS IRONY? DID CRITICS EVER SUGGEST THAT YOUR WRITING WAS AMBIGUOUS AND CONFUSING TO MOST READERS? WERE SOME PEOPLE WHO DIDN’T UNDERSTAND THE IRONY ANGRY WITH YOU FOR INSULTING THEIR INTELLIGENCE? DID THIS ALL OF THIS IRONY AFFECT YOUR BOOK SALES?
STYLE: DICTION (IS THE VOCABULARY SIMPLE OR SOPHISTICATED?); DIALOGUE? DIALECT (NON-STANDARD ENGLISH); DIARY? LETTERS (EPISTOLARY NOVEL); FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE (METAPHOR, SIMILIES, PERSONIFICATION); NEOLOGISMS; SYNTAX (HOW THE SENTENCES ARE SET-UP; ARE THEY LONG? ARE THEY SHORT? ARE THEY COMPLICATED (COMPLEX, COMPOUND); TONE (ATTITUDE OF THE SPEAKER TOWARDS HIS/HER SUBJECT; PATTERN OF WORD CHOICES CREATES TONE;
debate with each other as character or author about an issue of the American experience
find a partner and independently work with than person
series of questions: things we want s.s to know; 4 questions: choose an author or main character; marry the s.s based on the questions; use meters as crowd response;
1) how does the book involve a critical American issue?
2) what about the writer’s style delivers that issue in an important way?
3) What is the book’s theme?
4) What is the author’s purpose in writing this book?
5) Writers write to contribute to the world; what is your book contributing?
The students need to reference the book. How well you can articulate the point of view? Level of detail in your responses.
1. At what age should students have the same rights as adults?
Should the drinking age be lowered?
Should the voting age be lowered?
Since 18 year olds can fight in wars, should they be allowed to drink, or have more adult privileges?
Should violent Video Games(TV) be banned for all kids?
Should students have the same privacy rights protections as adults?
Should the pledge of allegiance be mandatory?
Should students wear uniforms?
+Should College Admissions use SAT tests?
Should people under the age of 18 be permitted to have plastic surgery?
Should people under 18 have sex?
2. Should the U.S. government be allowed to police other countries?
Should we help our own citizens first and those of other nations later?Per. 6: Anna, Kahla Per. 8 [Andrew, Bruce]
Should we stay in Afghanistan/Iraq? Per. 6:
Anna, Kahla Per. 8: Andrew, Bruce
3. Are traditions like Prom, grand march, and homecoming meaningful rituals?
Is “The Prom” a waste of time?
4.How can schools best help “At-Risk” students?
Does counseling of students work?
Is the Dare program worth it?
Is it the school’s job to provide extracurricular opportunities which meet all students’ needs?
Should we teach birth control in grades 5 and 6?
What do kids in crisis need the most?
5. Do schools do enough to educate about the dangers of drugs?
6. How Can America best address its drug problems?
Should the US legalize most drugs currently labeled illegal in order to reduce drug related crimes and costs to society? (similar to the Netherlands’ policy) Per. 5: Jackie, Erica
Are the drug laws in the US too strict?
Are the consequences of drug usage by teens enforced enough? Per. 8: Joe, Nick, Kendra, Dylan
Should methadone be given to recovering heroin addicts?
Should our focus be more on prevention or detention? Per.8: Joe, Nick, Dylan, Kendra [Per. 4: Nick, Lindsey, Christin; Per. 5: Erica and Jackie]
Should Marijuana be legalized?
Should all drugs be banned for people under the age of 18? [Per. 4: Nick, Lindsey, Christin]
Should athletic teams be informed about steroid use?
7.Does America’s rhetoric about equality match the reality? If there’s a gap, does it matter?
Does the Americans with Diabilities Act do enough to prevent discrimination against people with diabilities? Rosaline and Morgan
Do women have equal rights in America today? Rosaline and Morgan
Has Title 9 gone too far?
Should women have to register with the Selective Service?
Should gay couples have the right to adopt? to marry? to serve in the military?
Should we seal off our border?
8.What’s more important, security or liberty?
Do authorities have access to too much private information? Should this be legal? Per. 1: Nick T and Patrick [Per. 4Kevin, Drew, Tom, Lyssa] Period 5: James, Zach
Are police held accountable for their misuse of the law?
Should there be cameras in school?
Are security leaks such as Wikileaks justified?
Are the search and seizure laws defining students’ rights acceptable?
Are we prepared for all kinds of terrorist attacks? P4: [Kevin, Drew, Tom, Lyssa]
P5: James, Zach
Do we do enough to prevent terrorist attacks along our borders, in our airports?[Per. 1: Patrick, Nick]
Should military recruiters be allowed in high schools?
Should there be a draft?
Should citizens be allowed to protect themselves? Carry Concealed weapons?
Should hunting on Sundays be allowed?
9. Should your book be considered a classic?
Does your author deserve the Pulitzer Prize?
10. How should rank and importance in society be determined?
Should we allow our peers and/or our society to determine who we become? Per. 1: Noah, Robyn [Per. 8: Ben, Chris, Christian]
How can schools and society help students combat being bullied, harassed, discriminated and/or shunned by peers? Per. Noah, Robyn
Why do we allow others to determine our rank or importance in society?
Why do we allow society to distort our dreams or aspirations?
Which institutions should have the greatest say on how we define success?? [Per. 5: James, Andrew, Alex]
Should we base status on how much money a person earns?Per. 8: Ben, Chris, Christian] [Per. 5: James, Andrew, Alex
11. How can we make the college admission process more equitable?
12. How can parents best help their children become successful?
What is the line between “child abuse” and parental disciplining of their children?
Are kids punished fairly? Adequately?
+What do kids need the most? [we need a specific direction that everybody’s researching Per 6: Sam, Avery: Father or mother more important? Per. 8: Christina, Miles, Tucker, Hanah, Cody, Ashley, Nichole; [Robin, Katherine, Paige, Shannon,Leana, Meghan, Sarah]
How can Parents best help their kids become successful?
How can kids find fulfillment in life?
What do kids need the most?
Is home schooling good for kids?
Should a parenting class be required to graduate?
+How do we protect young women from “predatory” boys? [Per. 4: Katherine, Paige, Shannon]
13. Science and ethics:
Should the government fund AI technology for the purpose of greater efficiency in the marketplace? ZA ZA, Chase, Wyatt
Should medical scientists be allowed to sequence “snowflake” babies in order to correct flaws?
RESEARCH ESSAY ANSWERING THREE “SUB-QUESTIONS” of broader question you are “married” to:
+introduce who you are--this will show that you have read your book: attention grabber; background info, and why this question is important to you; details + quotations from the book as support.
+at least one page single-spaced
+parenthetical citations for each of the two “sub-questions”
+factual information supporting your character or author’s point of view on the questions
+acknowledge the opposing view
+refute the opposing view
+your character or author’s best arguments, proofs, reasons
+use of Marvel-like sources
+Works Cited page
DEBATE:
+opening statements in which they introduce themselves, character or author
How can we best protect girls from “predatory” boys?
Should Stem Cell research be funded by the government?
Should the death penalty be legal?
How should Health class be changed to be more rigorous?
Should people in the military be charged for fratricide?
++Should students be drug tested?
+Should students have the same privacy rights protections as adults?
How can music be more censored and how can this be justified?
Is there a way to predict what kids will have a crisis?
How do we make parents more aware of kid behavior?
Should background checks be done on pet owners/ adopting parents?
Should animals be used for medical testing?
Get help with these questions. Really hard questions about ethics.
sign up sheet: your name, your book, circle the questions
get into character; research your topic; dress the part;
in character, write an answer to the debate question
audience participation: Oprah’s show as metaphor; do you have questions?
questions about morals ethics
is the American experience
“TIP”= TONE + INTENTION = PURPOSE
Dear Mr. Hawthorne:
homosexuals-- do not have equal rights (i.e. can’t “marry”); if someone comes out in high school, then people of the same sex do not feel comfortable around that person;
people of different color; Middle Eastern looking people; lower socio-economic background or class
3. (American Experience) INTERVIEW with author or character in the book; write up the interview; perform it;
-In what way does this book shed light on the American experience
4. Creative piece: shows in-depth understanding of the book; (ex: if you choose to write a rap song, then the lyrics you submit need to be about the book and its theme)
ideas:
create and act out a missing scene
create a movie trailer for the book
Create and perform a song about the book
Create a digital(pics) retelling of a part of your book
Create and read a poem about the book
BOOK SELECTIONS:
Period 1:
Alexa: Elizabeth Gilbert: “Eat, Pray, Love:”; 911 - 1061; book lexile 1080
Noah: “Draw the Dark” by Ilsa Bick: 1067 - 1217; book--790 NOT A GOOD FIT
Nick: “Lone Survivor” by Patrick Robinson; 1142 - 1292; lexile unknown
Patrick: “Angela’s Ashes”; 978 - 1128; 1110 for book
Jayna: “Alabama Moon” by Watt Key; senior--don’t know lexile
Kym: “Shade” by Jeri Ready; “What My Girlfriend Doesn’t Know”; senior--don’t know lexile
Kaili: “The Beans of Egypt Maine”; 1061 - 1211; can’t get lexile
Period 4:
Sam: “Matterhorn” by Karl Marlantes; 1145 - 1295; book lexile unknown
Christin: “Go Ask Alice” -- Anonymous; 1202 - 1352; book lexile 1010--too easy
Lindsey: “Go Ask Alice”-- Anonymous; 994 - 1144; book lexile 1010
Paige and Barter “Speak” by Laurie Halse Anderson; Paige 976 - 1126 (book - 690); 1143 - 1293 TOO LOW
Leana “Prom” by Laurie Halse Anderson; 677 - 826 ; book lexile 690
Kevin: Alex Berenson “The Silent Man”; 1054 - 1204; book lexile unknown
Sarah Perry: John Green “Paper Towns”; 1300 - 1457; 850 book lexile way too low
Katherine: “Prep”; 1288 - 1348; 660 book; way too low
WHO??? Patricia McCormick “Cut”
Tom: “Andromeda Strain”; 1244 - 1394 book lexile 840
Nick: “Anabolic Fitness”; 1096 - 1246 can’t find book
WHICH BOOK??? Drew said he’s working with Lyssa on a book
Period 5:
Samantha: “Ana’s Story” by Jenna Bush; 735 - 885 (850)
Alex: “Bad Monkeys” by Matt Ruff; 1300 - 1450; book lexile not known
Zach: “War” by Sebastian Junger; 1188 - 1338; not known
James: Patricia McCormick “Purple Heart” James’ score not known; book - 760
Jackie: James Frey “A Million Little Pieces”; 1138 - 1288; book lexile not known
Andrew: “Hacking Harvard” by Wasserman; 1112 - 1262; book - 840 (too low)
Rumika: “Prom” by Anderson; 1022 - 1172; 690 too low
Erica: “Crank”; 1084 - 1234 not sure of book lexile
Wyatt and Chase Brown: Prefontaine; can’t the book lexile
Avery : The Road by McCarthy; 1358 - 1508; novel is 670
Rosaline: Gone With the Wind; 1302 - 1452; book is 1100;
Morgan: 1197 - 1347 Front of the Class; can’t find the book
Anna: Amy and Isabelle; These Granite Islands; can’t find either
Za Za: The Missing Girl; 1263 - 1413; book = 780
Kahla: 1480 - 1630 Catch 22 = 1140
Period 8:
Andrew: “Red Rabbit” -- Tom Clancy; 1091 - 1241; most of Clancy below 1000
Ben: “The Plot Against Against America” by Phillip Roth; 1244 - 1394; novel is 1640!
Bruce Orne: Fallen Angels ; can’t find Bruce’s lexile; novel is 650;
Christina: “Shut Out”; can’t find the book
Christian: “Carter Finally Gets It”; 886 - 1036; 760 book
Ashley: “Fallout”
Tucker: “Alabama Moon” 913 - 1063 book = 720
Miles: “Soldier’s Heart” by Paulsen
Kendra: “My Sister’s Keeper” by Jodi Picoult
Cody: “Stopping to Home” by Lea Wait
Hannah: “The Sketchbook of Geoffrey Crayon” by Washington Irving
Nick: “Crackback” by Coy
Nichole Whitney:
Chris Reynolds: