Gatsby reading (and end of the year) schedule

With many students off on trips for music, athletics, and other field trips, I have posted the schedule for the last five weeks of the semester below.  Students are expected to plan in advance and be prepared for any assignments to be completed during the time they are gone.

Mon	Tues	Wed	Thurs	Fri
21 No school	22 Reading Day	23 Ch II quiz Ch II study guide due by the end of the hour	24 Ch III quiz Ch III study guide due by the end of the hour	25 Setting the scene Film comparison Response due
28 Reading Day	29 Ch IV quiz Ch IV study guide due by the end of the hour	30 Review Ch I - IV (notes in class)	1 Reading Day	2 Ch V quiz Ch V study guide due by the end of the hour
5 Ch VI quiz Ch VI study guide due by the end of the hour	6 Ch VI Close Read Comparison	7 Reading Day	8 Ch VII quiz Ch VII study guide due by the end of the hour	9 No school
12 Reading Day	13 Ch VII/IX quiz Ch VII/IX study guide due by the end of the hour	14 Film comparison	15 Film comparison	16 Film response due --- Begin Exam review
19 Exam review	20 4th and 6th Semester Finals	21 2nd, 3rd, 7th Semester Finals	22 1st and 5th Semester Finals --- ½ Day Last day of school	23

Week at a glance April 21 - 25, 2014

We'll continue reading F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby.  Students all have their own copy of the novel checked out to them.  Last week we discovered four of the main core characters: narrator Nick Carraway, his cousin Daisy Buchanan and her "hulking" husband Tom, and their friend, Jordan Baker.  This week we meet two minor, yet critical characters: voluptuous Myrtle Wilson and her ghost of a husband George.  After many intriguing rumors, ominous hints, and idle speculation, we will finally also meet the mysterious Jay Gatsby.

• Mon: No school
• Tues: The Great Gatsby - Finish reading Ch. II.  Begin reading Ch. III.
• Wed: The Great Gatsby - Ch. II quiz, study guide due by the end of the hour.
• Thurs: The Great Gatsby - Ch. IiI quiz, study guide due by the end of the hour.
• Fri: The Great Gatsby - Setting the scene: viewing and discussion.

Week at a glance April 14 - 18, 2014

After almost two weeks in the computer labs to complete research and assessments, this week we finally return to the classroom.  We will also begin our final novel unit over F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby.  Students will meet Nick Carraway, our narrator, and see life through his young and and a bit innocent perspective. Since we are studying the opening chapter of the novel this week, our focus will be on shaping our first impressions of the characters and learning what we can from them. Students will check out books on Wednesday and will need to bring them to class from now on for the rest of the semester.

• Mon: Begin The Great Gatsby Research Presentations
• Tues: Finish The Great Gatsby Research Presentations
• Wed: Check out The Great Gatsby. Begin reading/discussing Ch. I.  Finish reading Ch. I for Friday.
• Thurs: Quiz over The Great Gatsby Ch. I - study guide due by the end of the hour.  For Tuesday, read Ch. II.
• Fri: No school - Professional Development Day

Week at a glance April 7 - 11, 2014

This week we are doing the KS Reading Assessment and wrapping up our research unit over The Great Gatsby.

• Mon: Meet in the classroom to discuss the format of the KSRA.  Research unit progress check.
• Tues: KSRA in the computer lab. Continue Gatsby research when done.
• Wed: Polish the Gatsby research presentation.
• Thurs: KSRA in the computer lab. Finish polishing the Gatsby research presentation.
• Fri: KSRA make up as needed in the computer lab. Begin Gatby research presentations.

Week at a glance March 31 - April 4, 2014

"Gatsby, what Gatsby?"

This week we will start a collaborative research project over background for F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby.  We will begin on Monday with a brief overview of the 1920s.  Students will have the opportunity to volunteer for the topic of their research project.  We will then move to the computer lab for the rest of the week to conduct research, collaborate with our partners, and create a presentation.

• Mon: GG Research Project - overview of the 1920s.  Generate and volunteer for topics.
• Tues: GG Research Project - meet in the computer lab to discover topics and conduct research.
• Wed: GG Research Project - meet in the computer lab to conduct research.
• Thurs: GG Research Project - meet in the computer lab to wrap up research and begin putting together the presentation.
• Fri: GG Research Project - meet in the computer lab to wrap up the presentation.

Week at a glance March 24 - 28, 2014

Welcome back from Spring Break.  This week we will wrap up our Short Story Unit.  Our final story will be Flannery O'Connor's "The Life You Save May Be Your Own," which we can find in our textbook.  We'll start with a Close Read over the first few pages.  We'll then make additional annotations to prepare for a Socratic Seminar on Wednesday.  On Thursday we will review for the unit exam, which we'll do on Friday.  The creative writing assignment for "The Waltz" is also due this Friday to turnitin.com.

• Mon: Short Story Unit: do a Close Read of the first pages of "The Life You Save May Be Your Own."  Finish the story on your own.
• Tues: Short Story Unit - make annotations on "The Life You Save..." to prepare for a Socratic Seminar on Wednesday.  Pass back previous study guides.
• Wed: Short Story Unit - "The Life You Save..." Socratic Seminar.  Hand in your annotations at the end of the hour.
• Thurs: Short Story Unit - review for the Unit Exam
• Fri: Short Story Unit Exam. "The Waltz" creative writing assignment due to turnitin.com by midnight.

Week at a glance March 10 - 14, 2014

This week we will continue our Short Story Unit with two more stories.  Susan Glaspell's 1917 story "A Jury of Her Peers" is a bit of a murder mystery.  Dorothy Parker's 1944 story "The Waltz" is a creative monologue done by a woman at a party.  The stories were not chosen randomly.  As we read, students should be looking for connections among the stories through characterization and theme.  In addition to a standard set of study guide questions, students will have other creative assignments to help them interact with and engage the stories.

• Mon: Short Story Unit: Begin reading and discussing "A Jury of Her Peers."  Start the double-entry notes.
• Tues: Short Story Unit: "A Jury of Her Peers."  Finish, discuss, and hand in the double-entry notes.
• Wed: Short Story Unit: "A Jury of Her Peers" - study guide due by the end of the hour.
• Thurs: Short Story Unit: Read and discuss "The Waltz."  Complete the guided reading questions for Friday.
• Fri: Short Story Unit: "The Waltz" - begin the creative writing response, due Tuesday, 3/25.

No school next week

Spring Break