Homework

toc //All homework assignments will be posted on this page, along with occasional reflections from Mr. Eugene on the rationale behind the assignment or tips for success. You are encouraged to use the discussion board for peer support at home. Make sure to start your homework early so that you can be a helpful contributor to the discussion board!//

= Course Calendar = //Click the link above to follow the overall scope of our course.//

= Previous Units of Study =

= Current Marking Period (Quarter 4) =

= ANNOUNCEMENTS =

1. Gatsby Reading Quiz Schedule

 * Chapters 1-3: Monday, April 3
 * Chapter 4-7: Thursday, April 6
 * Chapters 8&9: Wednesday, April 19

2. Gatsby eText
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= MAJOR ESSAYS AND PROJECTS =

1. The Great Gatsby -- Word Journal

 * Due: See directions below**

During our reading of //The Great Gatsby//, you will be following the development of a single word as it gains contextual meaning through the course of the narrative. See the attached handout for complete directions. Some suggested words are:
 * Music or Song
 * Car, Road, or Drive
 * Color (any mention of any color)
 * White
 * Light
 * Water
 * Eyes or Look or Gaze

Completed journals must have 12 entries and be accompanied by a minimum 2-page analytic essay. Due dates are as follows:
 * Completion check (5 entries): Friday, April 7
 * Peer editing of essay rough draft: Friday, April 21
 * **Final journal (including the essay!!!)**: Tuesday, April 25 **Thursday, April 27** (or Wednesday, April 26 for extra credit)



For general academic support as you work through the novel, as well as possible ideas and insights for writing your word journal, you can visit our Gatsby resource page.

= HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENTS =

1. The Luck of Roaring Camp (Extra Credit)
You may choose to read the attached story and complete the questions (see the end of the text) for extra credit. You may also choose to complete the attached syntax analysis assignment. Each assignment counts separately for extra credit.
 * Due: Wednesday, March 29**

2. Understanding Satire
//Note: This assignment is due near the end of 3rd quarter, but will be entered as a 4th quarter grade.//
 * Due: Tuesday, March 28**

In order to understand the method and purpose of satire as a form of comedy, first read the About.com article linked below and then view the embedded slideshow. Then watch the Colbert video and read the attached versions of Swift's //A Modest Proposal// and Twain's "Cannibalism in Cars." When you have finished viewing and reading, write a comparison of any two of these satires. Your comparison should first establish 1) what or who the texts imitate, 2) how these texts make it clear that this imitation is intended as mockery, and 3) the implied critical messages conveyed by that mockery.

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3. Hills Like White Elephants

 * Due: Wednesday, March 29**

Read and annotate the story attached below as thoroughly as you can. Then answer the following questions on a separate sheet of paper:

1. Briefly describe the mood and setting of the story. Be thorough. Make sure to describe both the "near" and "far" setting, as well as some of the small details that mark the boundaries of the space that the characters share. What aspects of the setting make a significant -- even a symbolic -- contribution to the meaning of the story?

2. In general, how would you describe the tone of the man through this conversation? The tone of the woman? Are there any notable moments when one of the characters' tone shifts? Why might these shifts be significant?

3. What does the woman seem to mean when she says, "Everything tastes of licorice. Especially all the things you've waited so long for"?



4. AP Exam Prep Materials
Click on the link pasted below to review any of the AP Lang Exam free response sections from the last fifteen years. Remember that the documents labeled "Sample Response" will likely be most helpful in preparing for Wednesday's exam, as they will show you exactly what the College Board readers tend to look for in high scoring essays.

[|http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/apc/members/exam/exam_information/2001.html#2016]

5. College Essay

 * Due:** Tuesday, May 16 (rough draft); Monday, May 22 (final draft)

Write an essay in response to a college application prompt of your choice. Include the prompt with the draft of your essay. If you haven't found a prompt yet, you may choose any of the Common Application essay prompts, listed here:
 * 1) Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story. [No change]
 * 2) The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience? [Revised]
 * 3) Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome? [Revised]
 * 4) Describe a problem you've solved or a problem you'd like to solve. It can be an intellectual challenge, a research query, an ethical dilemma - anything that is of personal importance, no matter the scale. Explain its significance to you and what steps you took or could be taken to identify a solution. [No change]
 * 5) Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others. [Revised]
 * 6) Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more? [New]
 * 7) Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you've already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design. [New]

6. [[file:Tragedy and the Common Man.pdf|Tragedy and the Common Man]]
Read the essay linked above and answer the following questions:
 * Due:** Friday, May 12


 * 1) Why is the common man “as apt a subject for tragedy in its highest sense as kings were”?


 * 1) What evokes “the tragic feeling” in us as viewers of a play? What is the cause of the events in a tragedy?


 * 1) How does Miller define tragedy? Why is this significant?


 * 1) How does Miller define the tragic flaw? Why is this significant?


 * 1) What “shakes us,” the viewers as we watch or read a tragedy?


 * 1) Given Miller’s earlier definition of tragedy, what is illuminated by the tragic figure’s destruction? What comments does Miller make about the “condition of life” and the “wrong”? How does he mean each of these terms?


 * 1) How does the tragic figure, especially if he is a common man, “gain ‘size’”?


 * 1) Why does Miller consider tragedy both edifying and optimistic?

7. [[file:Target Diagram Worksheet.docx|Target Diagram and Essay]]

 * Due: Thursday, May 25**

Complete the Target Diagram handout distributed in class, including the written response. The written response should be at least three paragraphs in length (intro, body, and conclusion). Analysis should be supported by specific references to the movie and to at least two of the secondary sources attached below. You may also refer to "Tragedy and the Common Man" (still attached to the assignment above), as well as any other sources you find on your own that are of sufficient academic merit.