Matthew and I first discussed the important role of a notebook and assignment pad for English II.In order to assist in syllabus creation, we also recounted some of the novels he has previously read to insure we don't repeat any previously covered material. We then discussed the movie version of the novel, News of the World, and the differences between the movie and and the novel. I segued into the written assignment for the summer reading, and Matthew identified areas he needed assistance. We began by writing a paragraph contrasting cultural assimilation and cultural annihilation as it relates to Native Americans. I defined on the board both terms ,and we explored the concept of America as a melting pot for most cultures except Native Americans where the US government, through Indian Boarding Schools and the Dawes Act, attempted to erase Indian culture. After analyzing the two articles on assimilation that accompanied the summer reading , Matthew composed a very good paragraph discussing the cultural impact of Indian Boarding Schools and the Dawes Act. I provided instruction on the use of connecting phrases, a topic sentence, parallel structure , and the function of a concluding sentence .We will explore the thematic and substantive portions of the summer writing assignment tomorrow and work on the quote analysis that was part of the summer writing assignment..