Having studied the education system in the South under segregation from the point of view of a White writer, Harper Lee, we today focused on the view of an African -American writer based on the novel, " A Lesson Before Dying". Bobby offered good textual support demonstrating the deficiencies in the segregated school system , and commented on the superintendent 's remarks that the children "were a good crop" , and should" get off their butt and work in the fields" if they need money for school supplies. Most notably we discussed how the superintendent looks inside the students' mouths to check their hygiene ,reminiscent of slave owners examining slaves on the sale platform. We then examined the character Antoine who , as a former teacher, has urged the narrator to give up and leave the community as he believes education can not elevate the oppressed Black society. We discussed how the novel begins to focus on whether the narrator will become disillusioned and bitter or find redemption in "teaching " the condemned Jefferson the meaning of dignity. During our second session, we worked on the essay due Monday comparing the closing jury arguments in the novel and in "To Kill A Mockingbird". I began by providing a structural outline for each paragraph . We then analyzed the essay question and discussed how to form the topic sentence which Bobby then composed. I then explained function of the rest of the introductory paragraph which Bobby also finished. Last, I provided instruction on proving the thesis or topic sentience by citing specific examples or quotes. Bobby worked through the text ,completed an analysis of Atticus Finch's closing remarks, and incorporated quotes into his work. He will complete the essay by addressing the closing remarks of Jefferson's lawyer. For tomorrow, -read the next two chapters of the novel.