Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Wednesday 15 February

B

Another Roc Read
We are collecting Sharon Draper's Tears of a Tiger from the library. This is not a "keep" novel, so must be returned after the break.


You will find this a very easy, quick read.  Your assignment, per the superintendent, is as follows:
 Students are to write a brief essay of 500 words in  response  to what they learned from the book. 
Think about both the characters and the plot. Use detailed information to support your reasoning. Include a MLA heading.  Although they are heading downtown, they will be graded with the usual expectations on style, content and language conventions. 
THIS IS D|UE THE MONDAY AFTER THE BREAK: February 27.
In class: vocabulary 9  Handout in class; copy below. Get ahead start. This is due at the beginning of class on Tuesday February 28.


 Vocabulary 9

1.                   acclamation (noun) – a shout of welcome; an overwhelming verbal vote of approval; ovation, cheering,
                                        plaudits
2.               bucolic (adj) – characteristic of the countryside, rural, relating to shepherds and cowherds, pastoral; rustic
3.               calumniate (verb)- to slander; to accuse falsely and maliciously; defame, libel
4.               chary (adj) – extremely cautious, hesitant or slow; reserved, diffident; wary, skittish
5.               collusion (noun) – secret agreement or cooperation; conspiracy, plot, connivance, cahoots
6.               dilettante (noun) – a dabbler in the arts; one who engages in an activity in an amateurish, trifling way;
                                   superficial; amateur, trifle
7.               imperturbable (adj)- not easily excited; emotionally steady; unflappable, unexcitable, serene, unruffled
8.               increment (noun) – an enlargement, increase, addition; accretion, gain
9.               mandate (noun)- an authoritative command, formal order, authorization; directive
(verb) – to issue such an order
10.           paltry (adj) – trifling, insignificant; mean; despicable; inferior, trashy; measly, meager, piddling, trivial
11.           paroxysm (noun) – a sudden outburst; a spasm, a convulsion; fit, seizure
12.           pedantry (noun) – a pretentious display of knowledge; overly rigid attention to rules and details; nit-picking, hairsplitting, pettifoggery

13.           peregrination (noun) – the act of traveling; an excursion, especially on foot or to a foreign country; journey, wandering, odyssey

14.           redolent (adj) fragrant, smelling strongly; tending to arouse memories or create an aura; evocative,
reminiscent, aromatic

15.           refulgent (adj) – shining, radiant, resplendent; luminous, splendid

16.           unremitting (adj) – not stopping, maintained steadily, never letting up, relentless, constant, incessant

17.           tyro (noun) – beginner, novice, one with little or no background or skill, neophyte

18.           shibboleth (noun)- a word, expression or custom that distinguishes a particular group of persons from all others; a commonplace saying or truism

19.           vacillate (verb)- to swing indecisively from one idea or course of action to another; to waver weakly in mind or will

20.           vituperate (adj)- harshly abusive, severely scolding, abusive, scurrilous, insulting





Vocabulary 9, exercise 1 Use the correct form.

1.               It is very rare for a presidential candidate to be nominated by _________________________ from the convention floor.
2.               Since so many funds had been spent with so few results, they were _________________________ about appropriating more money.
3.               After returning from my ________________________________ throughout South America, I began writing a book about my experiences.
4.               The billionaire was so greedy that he contributed only a _______________________ sum of money to charity each year.
5.               My grandmother’s kitchen was always _____________________________ with the smells of baking.
6.               Someone who __________________________________ in a crisis should not be in a position of leadership.
7.               Many people dismissed the poster artists of the 1960’s as mere _____________________________ with nothing serious to say about life or art.
8.               The fussy music professor was distinguished more for her __________________________ that her true scholarship.
9.               You cannot expect a mere ________________________ to perform like a veteran in his first season of major league play.
10.           By the time Election Day finally rolls around, most voters are tired of hearing the same old slogans and ________________________________________.
11.           The Elizabethans who wrote of shepherds in ideal country settings were imitating the Greek __________________________ poets.
12.           The children greeted the clown with a ________________________ of laughter when he began making his funny faces.
13.           The peacekeepers were sent into the war-torn country under a UN _____________________________ to protect minority populations.
14.           The social laws in Edith Wharton’s novels are _______________________; they are interminable.
15.            The swift-flowing stream beside our house was _______________________ in the morning light.
16.           The _____________________________ speech in which she blamed others for her own mistakes may have cost her the election.
17.           Employees were added to the work force in ____________________________ of five to save money on training costs.
18.           The witness remained _______________________________ throughout the grueling cross-examination.
19.           Years later, it was discovered that senior members of the company had been in _______________________ with the enemy.
20.           Not only did the artist’s enemy seek to discredit her while she was alive but tried to ________________________ her memory as well.


 Vocabulary 9, exercise 2

1. As we waited through the long night for the arrival of the rescue party, we _________________________
    between hope and despair.
2. However long and hard the struggle, we must be ____________________________ in our efforts to wipe
     out racism in this country.
3. She may have great musical talents, but she will get nowhere so long as she has the casual attitude of the
     _____________________________________.
4. The painting shows a restfully _____________________________ scene, with some cows grazing placidly
     in a meadow as their shepherd dozes under a bush.
5. I had expected a decent tip from the party of six that I waited on early that evening, but all I got was a(n) _______________________________ two bucks.
6. The scene may seem ordinary to you, but I find it _________________________ with memories of happy
     summers spent in these woods.
7. Since Lincoln is now considered a great national hero, it is hard to believe that he was bitterly
    _______________________________ when he was President.
8. The contractor was suspected of having acted in __________________________  with a state official to fix
    the bids on certain public works contracts.
9. “The overwhelming victory I have won at the polls,” the governor-elect said, “has given me a clear
      __________________________________ to carry out my program.”
10. As a(n) _____________________________ summer sun sank slowly in the west, the skies were ablaze
       with color.
11. In a series of searing orations, filled with the most _____________________________ language, Cicero
      launched the full battery of political invective against the hapless Mark Antony.
12. Every time I sign a new lease on my apartment, my rent goes up, though the 
      __________________________ are not usually large.
13. I thought I was unexcitable, but she is as _______________________________as the granite icons in
     front of the public library.
14. Even the merest _______________________ in the use of firearms knows that a gun should never be
      pointed at another person.
15. Since Lucy had expected no more than polite applause, she was delighted by the ________________________________ she received from the audience.
16. The Pledge of Allegiance is no mere _________________________ to be recited mechanically and
       without understanding like some advertising jingle.
17. In my various _______________________________ through that vast metropolis, I ran across many
       curious old buildings that the ordinary tourist never sees.
18.I have learned from long experience to be extremely _____________________________ about offering
     advice when it has not been requested.
19. Seized by a(n) _______________________________ of rage, he began to beat the bars of his cell with his
      bare hands.
20.It is sheer _____________________________ to insist upon applying the rules of formal literary
       composition to everyday speech and writing.


Vocabulary 9, exercise 3
Synonyms

1. evocative of old memories                                                      _______________________________
2. in cahoots with the competition                                              _______________________________                                          
3. kept up the constant pressure to surrender                              _______________________________
4. greeted with an overwhelming ovation                                   _______________________________
5. bored us with his hairsplitting                                                 _______________________________
6. overcome by a fit of anger                                                      _______________________________
7. reluctantly ended her journeys                                                ______________________________
8. seesawed in their commitments                                              ______________________________
9. keeps repeating the tired old catchphrases                             ______________________________
10. slandered his rivals at every opportunity                              _______________________________
11. labeled a mere trifler by the experts                                     _______________________________
12. an urgent directive from the President                                 _______________________________
13. a scurrilous response to the question                                   ________________________________
14. wary of flattery and favor-seekers                                      ________________________________
15. painted a charming rustic scene                                           _______________________________

Antonyms
16. is excitable when challenged                                                __________________________________
17. a colossal amount of unpaid debts                                        _________________________________
18. reported a steady loss in annual sales                                    _________________________________
19. looked up at the murky dawn sky                                         __________________________________
20. an expert in the art of fencing                                               __________________________________                            





Vocabulary 9, exercise 4
1.               Not satisfied with the slow (increment / peregrination) of his savings in a bank account, he turned to speculation in the stock market.
2.               Are we to try to make a realistic analysis of our alternatives or let ourselves be distracted by slogans and (tyros / shibboleths)?
3.               Perhaps he would be less lyrical about the delights of the (bucolic / redolent) life if, like me, he had grown up on a farm in Kansas.
4.               It has long been known that some twisted and unhappy people derive a kind of satisfaction from (calumniating / colluding) others.
5.               Once the senator’s nomination became a certainty, all opposition to him evaporated, and he was named by (vituperation / acclamation).
6.               During the course of my (peregrinations / paroxysms) through the world of books, I have picked up all kinds of useful information.
7.               The phrase “We the people” in the Constitution indicates that the ultimate (mandate / vacillation) of our government comes from the popular will.
8.               Since she comes from a rural area, she expresses herself in language that is (redolent / paltry) of the farm and of country life in general.
9.               It is easy to criticize him, but how can we overlook the fact that for 20 years he has worked (unremittingly / charily) to help the homeless.
10.           Although he has been in this business for 20 years, he still has the sublime innocence of the most helpless (tyro / shibboleth).
11.           A (paroxysm / pedantry) of indignation flashed through the community, and the streets filled with angry people ready to protest the proposal.
12.           Clad in the (refulgent / dilettante) armor of moral rectitude, he sallied forth to do battle with the forces of evil.
13.           How do you have the nerve to offer such a(n) (paltry / unremitting) sum for this magnificent “antique” car?
14.           Isn’t it sheer (pedantry / refulgence) on his part to use terms like Proustian and Kafkaesque, when he knows they mean nothing to his audience?
15.           The same difficulties that serve as a challenge to the true professional will be a crushing discouragement to the typical (mandate / dilettante).
16.           If we (vacillate / increment) now at adopting a tough energy policy, we may find ourselves in a desperate situation in the future.
17.           I’m not sure if Tom’s (imperturbable / collusive) spirit is due to toughness or to an inability to understand the dangers of the situation.
18.           I am perfectly willing to listen to a reasonable complaint, but I will not put up with that kind of (bucolic / vituperative) backbiting.
19.           The gambler’s predictions of the game scores were so incredible accurate that we suspected some form of (acclimation / collusion).
Because my teacher is usually so (chary / imperturbable) of giving compliments, I fest especially good when she spoke well of my essay

Thursday 16 February Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge

An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge by Ambrose Bierce

In class: background reading on realism and a film of the short-story An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge by Ambrose Bierce

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HiUiZA_5li8

If  you are absent, please make sure you watch this video.

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

February 14 Maggie review

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cfxJCdBFuLk

In class: we are finishing up the material from yesterday. Please make sure you have responded to each of the ten quotes.  These will be collected / graded.

REVIEW OF MAGGIE

Handing out the rewards from the winter reading.
Homework: none



Dialectical Journal_____________________________________________________

Source:  How the Other Half Lives

The following are quotes from the text
that indicate facts and bias.
For each quote: 1) indicate whether it is a bias or fact and 2) In what way is it important? 3) How does it connect with Crane’s Maggie, Girl of the Streets?other populations in the Lower East Side?
1.      1. Sixty cents is put as the average day’s earnings
Of the 150,000…







2.The Italian is a born gambler...they were faithful.







3.I state it in advance …based upon the steady
observation of years, that all attempts to make
an effective Christian of John Chinaman will
remain abortive in this generation.




4. Seventy percent [of the Jews] stayed in New
York.






5. [the tenement] held the mark of Cain from its
birth







6.Two-hundred and seventy-five tramps were going
to be sentenced to time on the island










7. “…the Society has established and operates in the tenement districts twenty-one industrial schools…for the children of the poor who cannot
find room in the city’s school houses. “







8.”Grouped about a beer-keg that was propped
on the wreck of a broken chair, a foul and ragged
host of men and women sat on boxes, benches and stools.”






9. “A citizen’s movement resulted in the
Organization of a board of health and adoption of
The house act of 1867”





10. “Cleanliness is the characteristic of the negro
in his new surroundings…[but] poverty, abuse and injustice alike the negro accepts with imperturbable
cheerfulness.”



Monday, February 13, 2012

Monday 13 February Riis journals


Due tommorow: Your paragraphs on Maggie, Girl of the Streets
Expect a reading test!

We are putting together the two readings: Stephen Crane's Maggie, Girl of the Streets and Jacob Riis' How the Other Half Lives.

In class: I have taken excerpts from your fact / bias lists and put them on a dialectical journal list.
We will complete and discuss these.
Note  below your assigned reading; this implies you know the material.





Thursday, February 9, 2012

Friday 10 February

Handout: novel Maggie, Girl of the Street
This short novel is a fictional parallel to Riis' study of the people of lived in the Lower East Side of New York during the last quarter of the 19th  century. You will have two in-class days for the reading; as well, this is your homework. What are you doing with this text? For each of the 21 short chapters, you will write a brief synopsis (100 words ) Frame these around the literary elements: character, plot, tone, theme, dialogue, setting and figurative language devices, peppering your responses with specific works from the reading.  This also a time to reflect and make relevant connections beyond the text. I would suggest you underline words or phrases in the chapter as your read. By the time you finish, you should have addressed all of these. Naturally, as much of this will be accomplished in class, it is fine to hand write- or even have a mixture with typing. Please label each chapterThis is due at the beginning of class on Tuesday.


Note that on Monday, we'll be reviewing your reading from Riis' How the Other Half Lives.

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Wednesday 8 February

Due today: your list of 10 opinions / biases and 10  facts from your assigned reading. AND on the blog your discussion of the above, which includes some of the material from your lists.


In class: review of the colon sheet.  Discussion of How the Other Half Lives by Jacob Riis


Handout: novel Maggie, Girl of the Street
This short novel is a fictional parallel to Riis' study of the people of lived in the Lower East Side of New York during the last quarter of the 19th  century. You will have two in-class days for the reading; as well, this is your homework. What are you doing with this text? For each of the 21 short chapters, you will write a brief synopsis (100 words ) Frame these around the literary elements: character, plot, tone, theme, dialogue, setting and figurative language devices, peppering your responses with specific works from the reading. I would suggest you underline words or phrases in the chapter as your read. By the time you finish, you should have addressed all of these. Naturally, as much of this will be accomplished in class, it is fine to hand write. Please label each chapter. This is due at the beginning of class on Tuesday.
If you loose your copy, the full text is available on line.
 
DON"T FORGET TO POST. IF YOU HAVE A PROBLEM, SEND YOUR WORK TO ME and I'll post it. Remember this is public, so proof read carefully.

Tuesday February 7...semi colons / Riis

Due today: responses from the Introduction to Jacob Riis' How the Other Half Lives
Due tomorrow: assigned chapter from the book How the Other Half Lives. Remember that you are turning in a list of 10 opinions / biases from your text, accompanied by 10 facts. As well, you will post a minimum of 250 words in which you discuss your chapter, incorporating words / phrases from your list. If you have trouble posting, make sure I have it by 6 am tomorrow, so as I can post it for you.

In class today: review of semi-colons and a look at colons.
hand-out: see copy below

Colons
Top of Form
Bottom of Form

Rule 1
Use the colon after a complete sentence to introduce a list of items when introductory words such as namely, for example, or that is do not appear.
Examples:
You may be required to bring many items: sleeping bags, pans, and warm clothing.
I want the following items: butter, sugar, and flour.
I want an assistant who can do the following: (1) input data, (2) write reports, and (3) complete tax forms.
Rule 2
A colon should not precede a list unless it follows a complete sentence; however, the colon is a style choice that some publications allow.
Examples:
If a waitress wants to make a good impression on her customers and boss, she should (a) dress appropriately, (b) calculate the bill carefully, and (c) be courteous to customers.
There are three ways a waitress can make a good impression on her boss and her customers:
(a) Dress appropriately.
(b) Calculate the bill carefully.
(c) Be courteous to customers.

I want an assistant who can (1) input data, (2) write reports, and (3) complete tax forms.
Rule 3
Capitalization and punctuation are optional when using single words or phrases in bulleted form. If each bullet or numbered point is a complete sentence, capitalize the first word and end each sentence with proper ending punctuation. The rule of thumb is to be consistent.
Examples:
I want an assistant who can do the following:
(a) input data,
(b) write reports, and
(c) complete tax forms.
The following are requested:
(a) Wool sweaters for possible cold weather.
(b) Wet suits for snorkeling.
(c) Introductions to the local dignitaries.
OR
The following are requested:
(a) wool sweaters for possible cold weather
(b) wet suits for snorkeling
(c) introductions to the local dignitaries
NOTE: With lists, you may use periods after numbers and letters instead of parentheses.
These are some of the pool rules:
1. Do not run.
2. If you see unsafe behavior, report it to the lifeguard.
3. Have fun!
Rule 4
Use a colon instead of a semicolon between two sentences when the second sentence explains or illustrates the first sentence and no coordinating conjunction is being used to connect the sentences. If only one sentence follows the colon, do not capitalize the first word of the new sentence. If two or more sentences follow the colon, capitalize the first word of each sentence following.
Examples:
I enjoy reading: novels by Kurt Vonnegut are among my favorites.
Garlic is used in Italian cooking: It greatly enhances the flavor of pasta dishes. It also enhances the flavor of eggplant.
Rule 5
Use the colon to introduce a direct quotation that is more than three lines in length. In this situation, leave a blank line above and below the quoted material. Single space the long quotation. Some style manuals say to indent one-half inch on both the left and right margins; others say to indent only on the left margin. Quotation marks are not used.
Example:
The author of Touched, Jane Straus, wrote in the first chapter:
          Georgia went back to her bed and stared at the intricate patterns of burned moth wings in the translucent glass of the overhead light. Her father was in “hyper mode” again where nothing could calm him down.
          He’d been talking nonstop for a week about remodeling projects, following her around the house as she tried to escape his chatter. He was just about to crash, she knew.
Rule 6
Use the colon to follow the salutation of a business letter even when addressing someone by his/her first name. Never use a semicolon after a salutation. A comma is used after the salutation for personal correspondence.
Example:
Dear Ms. Rodriguez:

 

Insert the colons:

1. Kelly wants to play outside she loves being outdoors in the winter.
2. I think I’ll go to the 7 00 PM movie later.
3. I’ve been to four continents Africa, North America, South
America and Asia.

4. My friends think I’m funny I always make a fool of myself with
them.

5. To Whom It May Concern
6. I love healthy foods nuts, fruits, and vegetables.
7. Jill had to answer the question should she say yes or no?
8. The ingredients are as follows salt, pepper, popcorn and seasoning.
9. There is one place I go every Sunday church.
10. Don’t forget the number one class rule raise your hand.
11.  I wish I had a pet I have always liked animals.
12. My alarm clock is set for 6 45 AM.
13.  I play four sports soccer, football, rugby and baseball.
14.  I have been really sad today I just found out my puppy Alvin just
died.

15. Dear Mr. Jones
16. I love reading all types of books mystery, horror, suspense, and
biographies.
17. The friends I play with are as follows Jill, Jack, Tom and Eden.
18. There are four parts to a plant roots, stem, leaves and flower.
19. There is only one reason you failed you didn’t prepare for the test.
20. You will need to finish three chores vacuum, mow the lawn, make your bed.