Work for the Week of October 20th - Freshmen

Monday October 20th
Minutes: Vernita, Anne
Reading HW: Read Book III Ch. 1-2
HW: Please isolate yourself for 15 minutes.  Write about the experience afterwards.

Tuesday October 21st
Minutes: Alex C., Lori
Reading HW: Finish 1984.
HW: Is this a happy ending?  Consider both sides of the argument.

Wednesday October 22nd
Minutes: Marcin, Cynthia
Reading HW:  N/A
HW: Draft Day.

Thursday October 23rd
Minutes: Helen, James
Reading HW: Read Harrison Bergeron by Kurt Vonnegut.
HW: How does this piece compare to 1984?  Please make direct connections.

Friday October 24th
Minutes: Deborah, Bingyi
Reading HW: Read the first few pages of The Curious Incident"
HW: N/A

Monday October 27th
Minutes: Farha, Anne G.
Reading HW: N/A
HW:  Rewrite due.

E.C. - Juniors - "Privilege"

Yesterday we spoke about privilege and the various privileges that we have experienced as a result of our gender, class, race, sexuality, education, and a variety of other factors.  While it is often difficult to recognize our own privilege, I wonder, how privileged do you find yourself to be?

I'd also like you to read this piece by Princeton sophomore Tal Fortgang in which he argues against discussions of privilege.  I'm curious, is Fortgang correct in his assertions?  Is he the product of character or of certain privilege?  Is it an amalgam of both?  If Fortgang did not have particular privileges or advantages, would he still be penning this piece for the Princeton newspaper?  Chime in, express your ideas, post relevant links, respond to one another and let's see what we can come up with!

I'd also like you to consider how our reading of Ta-Nihisi Coates's "The Case for Reparations" as well as Frederick Douglass's autobiography contribute to our discussion of privilege.  How does our brief analysis of African-American history in the United States impact our perception of privilege in America?  How does privilege contribute to the American identity and the American dream?

E.C. - Seniors - Responses to "Feminism" Interviews

As per our assignment due today, I wanted you to ask three parties some neutral questions about feminism.  What is a feminist?  Are you a feminist?  Why/not?  I'm curious to see what your questioning yield and your reactions to your research and to others.  Engage one another, ask questions, add links, and let's get this discussion started!

Work for the Week of October 14th - Juniors

Tuesday Oct. 14th
Minutes: Sally
Reading HW: "The Case for Reparations" by Ta-Nehisi Coates if you haven't read it yet.
HW: Copy three ideas that Coates presents that you find particularly interesting.  We'll discuss these in class.

Wednesday Oct. 15th
Minutes: Zhi
Reading HW: Read about privilege.
HW: Hand in paper with your annotations.

Thursday Oct. 16th
Minutes: Hyunsu
Reading HW: Read Ch. I-III of Frederick Douglass 
HW: Please select five examples that truly exemplify Douglass's upbringing as a slave.  Explain the significance of the quote you've selected.

Friday Oct. 17th
Minutes: Randy
Reading HW: Read Ch. IV-VIII of Frederick Douglass 
HW: Why didn't slave owners educate their slaves?  Find evidence to support your claim.  Focus on the Columbian Orator as well.

Monday Oct. 20th
Minutes: Amira
Reading HW: Read Ch. IX-X of Frederick Douglass 
HW: Analyze Covey's apparent hypocrisy and the relevance of this hypocrisy's function within this narrative as a whole.

Upcoming: Parent Teacher Conferences on Thursday Oct. 23rd/Friday Oct. 24th

Work for the Week of October 14th - Freshmen

Tuesday Oct. 14th
Minutes: Erik, Julia
Reading HW: N/A
HW: Draft day.

Wednesday Oct. 15th
Minutes: Annie L.
Reading HW: Read through Book II Ch. V
HW: Perfect Paragraph Due.

Thursday Oct. 16th
Minutes: Rigneyla, James
Reading HW: Finish Book II
HW: Consider the book O'Brien gives Winston.  What does Winston learn about Oceania as a society? What do the slogans mean?

Friday Oct. 17th
Minutes: Samuel, Derek
Reading HW: Read Atul Gawande's "Hellhole"
HW: How does Gawande portray torture?  What kinds of physical/mental/psychological effects does torture have on an individual?  Should isolation confinement be considered as torture?  Should it be legal in the Unites States?  Why or why not?

Monday Oct. 20th
Minutes: Vernita, Anne
Reading HW: Read Book III Ch. 1-2
HW: Please isolate yourself for 15 minutes.  Write about the experience afterwards.

Upcoming: Parent Teacher Conferences on Thursday Oct. 23rd/Friday Oct. 24th

Work for the Week of October 14th - Seniors

Tuesday Oct. 14th
Minutes: Chesley, Ben
Reading HW: Read the "Feminism" packet
HW: Be sure to use as little paper as possible when printing!  Please take extensive notes, annotating your reading to assist in classroom discussion.

Wednesday Oct. 15th
Minutes:
Reading HW: Finish book through chapter 29.
HW: Interview three people, a friend, a family member, and a student (who you don't know) about their perception of the word "feminism".  Ask about the word's definition, what kind of people are feminists, and if s/he is a feminist and why/not.

Thursday Oct. 16th
Minutes:Victor M., Amy R.
Reading HW: Finish through chapter 29.
HW: Work on rumination paper.

Friday Oct. 17th
Minutes: Sophie, Salman
Reading HW: N/A
HW: Have a quotation selected for your rumination paper.

Monday Oct. 20th
Minutes: Wendy, Brian T.
Reading HW: Read through chapter 39.
HW: N/A

Upcoming: Parent Teacher Conferences on Thursday Oct. 23rd/Friday Oct. 24th

Work for the Week of Oct. 6th - Juniors

Monday Oct. 6th
Minutes: Alex
Reading HW: The Grapes of Wrath 477 - 553 
HW:  5 annotations.

Tuesday Oct. 7th
Minutes:
Reading HW: The Grapes of Wrath 554-588
HW: 5 annotations.

Wednesday Oct. 8th
Minutes:
Reading HW: Finish The Grapes of Wrath.
HW: Select appropriate quotations for your rewrite assignment.  You will hand in this assignment and your annotations on Tuesday.

Thursday Oct. 9th
Minutes:
Reading HW: Please read "Dignity" by William Finnegan
HW: What connections can you make between Finnegan's article and Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath?

Friday Oct. 10th
Minutes: Hing
Reading HW: Begin "The Case for Reparations" by Ta-Nehisi Coates
HW: Draft Day.

Monday Oct. 13th - NO SCHOOL COLUMBUS DAY

Tuesday Oct. 14th
Minutes: Sally
Reading HW: "The Case for Reparations" by Ta-Nehisi Coates
HW: Copy three ideas that Coates presents that you find particularly interesting.  We'll discuss these in class.