For Tuesday, December 16

Finish reading the play.  In my book, you will start reading on page 104 with Danforth's line, "Come here, woman.  Look at me only, not at your husband.  In my eyes only."  Think about:  What is in a name? and Hale's encouragement to lie in order to save a life.

Write your argument essay over the creativity question in your packet.  If you have misplaced your packet, I have copied the prompt below.

Schedule for the remainder of the semester:

TUESDAY:
Creativity Argument Essay- (Major Grade)
Reading Quiz- (Minor Grade)  (This will be one essay question in which you state your opinion regarding an element of the play.)
Finish Film and Discussion

MID-TERM, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 17

You will write a timed rhetorical analysis (Question 2 in your packet)- I will give you 60 minutes. You may come in with an outline and ask me questions during your writing.

You will complete two sections of multiple choice questions (about 20 questions).  You can take the time you need.  This will be graded with a sliding scale.

EXTRA CREDIT OPPORTUNITY:

Design a book cover or a poster advertising a production for The Crucible.  On the back of your book cover or poster, explain the elements you used in your design and how they connect with the play itself.  Tying your cover/poster to the rhetorical context of the play will increase points earned.  Using embedded quotes in your explanation will be helpful.

Prompt for Question 3:
Authors Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman published "The Creativity Drisis" in Newsweek.com in July 2010.  They reported that the Torrance Test, a test of creativity that has been administered to millions of people worldwide in 50 language, indicates that the public's "creativity quotient" has steadily crept downward since 1990.  In their article, Bronson and Merryman cite the claim of Professor Kyung Hee Kim at the College of William and Mary: "It's very clear, and the decrease is very significant."  Kim reports that it is the scores of younger children in America - from kindergarten through sixth grade--for whom the decline is "most serious."

Bronson and Merryman state that "the potential consequences are sweeping.  The necessity of human ingenuity is undisputed.  A recent IBM poll of 1,500 CEO's identified creativity as the No. 1 "leadership competency" of the future.  Yet it's not just about sustaining our nation's economic growth.  All around us are matters of national and international importance that are crying out for creative solutions, from saving the Gulf of Mexico to bringing peace to Afghanistan to delivering health care.  Such solutions emerge from a healthy marketplace of ideas, sustained by a populace constantly contributing original ideas and receptive to the ideas of others."

One possible approach to this reputed decline in creativity is to explicitly teach creative thinking in school.  Write to your school board explaining what you mean by creativity and arguing for or against the creation of a class in creativity.  

For Friday, December 12

Finish reading ACT II. 

In my book, your reading begins on page 57 with the Elizabeth's line, "Oh, the noose, the noose is up."  Read until the end of ACT II.  For those of you not reading from my version of the play, just look for Elizabeth's line.

Read with intentionality.  Expect a quiz.  When I ask you to read, I always expect you to use your close reading strategies....annotate, define unknown words, etc.

If you are having trouble keeping the characters straight, go back and read the beginning of ACT II.  That will be helpful.

For Wednesday, December 10

Read the following from the introduction to The Crucible~xxii paragraph beginning "The Crucible is both an intense psychological drama" to the end of the introduction xxv.

The non-italic/non dialogue sections from ACT ONE~on pages 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 13, 14, 19, 24, 25, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 38,

As you come across character names in the notes, you might look up their pictures on the movie website.  This way, as we watch the movie on Wednesday, you can quickly associate names and faces.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0115988/

REMEMBER:  YOUR ARGUMENT ESSAY WILL BE DUE NEXT TUESDAY, DECEMBER 16.

For Monday, December 15

Write the synthesis essay concerning "college educations being worth the cost."  Make sure to follow the directions of the prompt carefully.  This essay is due BOP on Monday.  Walk in and turn it in.

1. Ensure that you are making a personal argument-clearly state within your thesis.
2. You could start by jotting down a quick outline.
3. Do not type-write out as if you were taking the exam.
4. Do not spend more than an hour on this homework.

 Have A Nice Weekend!

For Thursday, December 4

Make sure you read this entire post.

Annotate Jonathan Edward's sermon "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God."  Remember, for each highlight, you must interpret what is happening with the particular strategy.  For something like repetition or "fiery diction," you can write out your interpretation at the bottom of the sermon.  For extended metaphors, write your interp beside the paragraph.  Other figurative language etc. can be interpreted in the margins as well.

Bring in a copy of The Crucible.  I did look online, and there are free PDF files of the entire text. You may bring that to class on your phone or print out copies.  Also, you can purchase copies for your kindle or buy a soft cover book.  Any format you choose to read with is fine with me.