Wednesday, April 29

Class Instructions for Wednesday, April 29th.

10-15 minutes - Students should discuss their initial impressions of The Great Gatsby as one large group. Do they enjoy Fitzgerald's writing style? Are they interested in the plot so far? Who is their favorite character and why? Who is their least favorite character and why?

20 minutes - Break up into 2 groups (7 a piece) to go over character worksheet from homework. Share personal impressions of each of the characters and see if you agree or disagree with other members in your group. Are there any universal impressions that arise in your group?

10 minutes - Share your group impressions of the characters with the entire class. Who are the strongest/most fully developed characters in the book thus far? What information about the characters has Fitzgerald given you in order to come to this conclusion?

HW - Write 1 paragraph response to the following prompt: What techniques (literary and language-based) does Fitzgerald utilize in order to suspend the reader's impression of Jay Gatsby in the opening 60 pages of the book which bears Gatsby's name?

Monday, March 23

In class, students completed Vocab Unit 9 Quiz, submitted diaries from Paradox of Choice and page long responses to The Tipping Point. Class discussion on ideas and articles that have 'tipped.' To be continued tomorrow. Made to Stick handout distributed in class.

Traveling students: please read Made to Stick handout while traveling. An assignment on all three nonfiction pieces due after our return from Spring Break will be posted shortly.

**Fri, Mar 13**

CHANGE IN SCHEDULE!!

Class WILL meet on Monday, March 16th. Vocab Quiz Unit 9 will be on Monday, March 16th instead of old schedule for the 23rd.

Students should have all Paradox of Choice work completed for Monday's class. Students will receive new assignments for March 16-19th in class on Monday.

Mon March 9 - Fri March 13

Class will not meet Mon, Tues, Thurs due to student travel. However, I am on campus all week and am available to meet one-on-one if anyone needs assistance. Email at cfeehan at burkemtnacademy dot org with any questions if you are traveling.

All students should have The Paradox of Choice packet fully read along with a hypothesis on whether or not increased choices lead to increased happiness.

HW this week: Complete 3 journal entries of 1 paragraph length each evaluating your hypothesis on happiness. What choices are you confronting and do they lead to increased happiness in your life? Complete Vocab Unit 9. Quiz on Monday, March 16.

Class WILL meet on Monday, March 16th.

Fri, Feb 27

In class on Thursday, students evaluated themselves as decision-makers. They also discussed the choices they face on a daily basis.

Class will not meet Mon, March 2 or Tues, March 3.

HW due Thursday, March 5: Complete reading packet. In bullet points, outline your personal position on whether or not increased choices lead to increased happiness.

Mon, Feb 9

In class, students went over SAT prep work.

HW due Tues: Study for Vocab Quiz Unit 7. We will also review "Monkey's Paw" work in Tues's class.

Thurs, Jan 29

HW due Mon: First draft of 5-paragraph essay due (2-3 pages max). Please see me Sat afternoon if you have any questions; make an appt. with me during Brunch between 11:30-12:30.

Tues, Jan 27

HW due Thurs: Essay question given in class. How does Oscar Wilde's novel The Picture of Dorian Gray both portray and challenge the values of the time in which the book was written?

In order to construct a thesis statement, please follow the guidelines below.

Oscar Wilde's novel The Picture of Dorian Gray both portrays and challenges Victorian values through the themes of ____________, _____________, and ___________.

Select three of the five themes from Tues's assignment that you would like to write about and insert them into your guiding thesis statement above. Then write out 2 quotes for each of the three themes to support your arguments. Quotes can come from either your quote worksheet or from anywhere within the narrative.

HW reviewed on Thurs will be thesis statement and 6 total quotes.

Mon, Jan 26

Speed Week Athletes: in preparation for an essay on Dorian Gray, please complete the following assignment which is due in class tomorrow (Tues, Jan 27). Essay topic will be posted tomorrow after students have completed this. Please submit to my mailbox ASAP upon your return to BMA along with any outstanding Reading Guides. Email me with any questions.

Several themes are present in DG, including, but not limited to, those which appear below. For each of the following themes, identify the two characters who are most representative of them and explain specifically how they are so (2-3 sentences). Please complete this on a separate sheet of paper.

Youth
Morality
Guilt
Image
Death

Thurs, Jan 22

HW due Monday: Complete reading Dorian Gray + reading guide questions + quotes. If you are traveling to Speed Week, please place a copy of this in my mailbox & also travel with a copy + your DG book. Essay topic to be posted on Monday morning.

Thurs, Jan 18

HW due Tues: Dorian Gray to pg 173.

Thurs, Jan 18

HW due Tues: Dorian Gray to pg 173.

Monday, Jan 12

In class, students reviewed Vocab Unit 6. Quiz in class on Thursday. Students also discussed Reading Guide questions and quotes. Through pg 93, students should have answered Questions #1-11 and Quotes #1-11. Remember, all question answers must be in complete sentences and quotes answers should include the SIGNIFICANCE of the quote. Please email me if you are traveling and have any questions on the book (cfeehan at burkemtnacademy dot org).

HW due Tues: Dorian Gray reading + questions + quotes to pg 107.

HW due Thursday: Vocab Quiz in Thursday's class!! Read + questions + quotes to pg 145 of Dorian Gray.

Tues, Jan 6

In class, students reviewed notes on the Victorian Era. An introduction to Oscar Wilde's Picture of Dorian Gray was presented. HW due Thurs: read + answer questions + quotes onDG pgs 3-46.

For those traveling, HW due Monday: read + answer questions + quotes on DG pgs 47-93.

Mon, Jan 5

In class, students complete Vocab Quiz Unit 5. No homework assigned.