GOAL FOR THE WEEK:  Finish Final Draft of Gatsby.  I’ll be getting roughs back to you today.

Here is the rubric  https://docs.google.com/document/d/1A_OdxPCfDdooZ69cnnvV0tlfaM63HdO9ePCEOHXiUjc/edit?usp=sharing

Hi gang!

Just a couple of quick things today.

1.  I got through all of the essay outlines that were turned in.  If you’ve gotten feedback, you’re free to get going on rough drafts–use the sample essay below as a guide.
2. If you did the outline, you got it returned with 10/10 as a grade.  That doesn’t mean what you turned in was perfect or that you should expect an A on the essay–these homework grades are 10 if you didn’t , no grade if you didn’t for now.  Look at the FEEDBACK I left you.  That’s the important thing.
3. Make sure you check back in with that Master Presentation (the one where I was putting our lecture notes.  I added a bunch to that last week and there are lots of hints/clues for the essay embedded within–I think the quote analysis stuff I added for Ch. 8 and 9 is especially important.

I keep checking email and classroom every 2-3 hours all day long so if there are any stragglers, I’ll get to them and if you have questions, you should get answers before too long.

Here’s a sample essay you can use as a guide.

Had we been in class we’d have spent a full day this week really deeply revisiting and workshopping Of Mice and Men paper and looking at the strengths and weaknesses from the batch you turned in and how to make the Gatsby batch better.  Here’s a sample “near perfect” essay I cobbled together from multiple student papers a couple of years ago.

ONE THING TO NOTICE–the paper doesn’t quote huge, long chunks of text.  Rather, it uses short examples to support the original thoughts of the authors.  (I once had a college professor tell me, if you’re quoting much more than 10 words in a chunk, you’re doing this wrong).  The big thing I’m looking for is your thoughts–and how well you can use the text to support them.  Just remember, whether it is this paper or any other you write for an English class (or other classes) you can’t separate the writing of the paper from your reading of the book–if you’ve read with depth, taken good notes and thought as you’ve gone through it, you should be in a strong position to say something unique and intelligent here.  Don’t overthink it.

Hi Gang!!  Hope you’re all doing well.  (Or at least better than my sad attempt to grow a full on corona-beard.)

1. Here’s your essay prompts with tips
2. By Tuesday at 5 p.m. complete the thesis and outline assignment (will be posted to classroom on Friday).  I will return within 24 hours, with comment.
3. By Friday, 3/27, complete the rough draft.  I’ll return, with comments by Monday.

Hi Gang:  Hope you are doing OK.  Here are some tools for the next few days.

Here’s C.E.’s answers to the Chapter 8 and 9 questions.

Here’s the full list of essay prompts with hints and tips from CE

Here’s the master power point we were using in class–I’ve added stuff we would have discussed in class for ch. 8 and 9.

Here’s a link to a video from the GREAT BOOKS series about Gatsby.  It’s not the most immediately interesting thing–but a lot of great analysis that might help you understand the book better if you watch it.

YOUR NEXT ASSIGNMENT:  will be to turn in a thesis and outline for the Gatsby paper.  This will be due next Tuesday.  That will get you feedback before you write a draft.  Look for that assignment on classroom by Saturday.

THE TASKS THIS WEEK:  

1.  Finish the novel.
2.  Answer the questions on chapters 8 and 9 that are posted to classroom.
3. If you have questions you want me to answer, post them to the group doc I posted to classroom.
4. Pick a prompt to write for your paper.  Next week we’ll work through that
   1. Outline with Thesis due for approval by Tuesday (see classroom later in the week)
   2. Draft Due 3/27

If you were absent Friday, here’s the map and notes exercise we dis in class

LEARNING TARGETS:  By the end of class today, you should be able to answer the big questions from the Chapter 6 section of the MASTER PRESENTATION

VOCAB PRACTICE UNIT 9

HOMEWORK FOR WEEKEND:  READ CH. 5

LEARNING TARGETS:as a result of today’s class you should be able to…

1. Summarize the key developments of Chapter Four in the Great Gatsby
2. Define the concept of theme in literature
3. Be able to brainstorm some emerging themes in the first section of Gatsby

MASTER PRESENTATION

NOTE: IF YOU WANT TO IMPROVE YOUR GRADE ON YOUR OF MICE AND MEN ESSAY DO THE FOLLOWING:

1. Write a third draft
2. Include a “last page” in which you explain what you did differently in this draft AND why you think it is better.
3. Turn in WITH YOUR GRADED DRAFT STAPLED TO THE BACK by the end of school next Monday!