Today we began by reading Ocean Vuong's "TeleMachus." We analyzed the poem line-by-line for it's imagery, symbolism, and impact. Next, I gave Chase a number of images from Life Magazine Photography archive and asked her to brainstorm a character, historical context, setting, and conflict for a short and rapid writing prompt.

We started working with matrices last session (dimension, the elements of a matrix). Then, today we did addition, subtraction, and multiplication of matrices.

Chase has taken her draft of the Spanish fashion blog entry about trends for Winter 2018 and is adding content and photos.

I provided Chase with feedback on her earlier assignments this week (character, setting). She began work on a piece that introduces one or more of her characters from this week into the setting piece that she crafted yesteday.

We discussed the key elements in Bradbury's "The Veldt," with emphasis upon how he employs plot and setting, more than well-developed characters, to convey his story's dark mood and cautionary tone/theme. Then Chase wrote a brief description of the most terrifying setting of which she can conceive -- no characters, no plot -- just setting.

Chase needs to increase her vocabulary, but worksheets, exercises, and Quizlet have not proven effective. We are trying another technique. Chase will create content for a fictional Miami fashion blog that both captures trends (tendencias) AND attempts to start some. She will use the work of at least 1 of the following classic designers: Balenciaga, Oscar de la Renta, Carolina Herrera and either Narciso Rodgriguez or Isabel Toledo (Cuban designers--it's MIAMI!). She will include at least 30 words for footwear, dresses, trousers, tops, outerwear, fabrics, colors, prints, style and fit.

Chase practiced conjugating regular preterite verbs. It is clear she needs to develop vocabulary. We shall work on that.

We went through the problems that she was supposed to do for homework assigned during the last session.

Chase completed the complex character assignment begun yesterday; then we read/watched Ray Bradbury's story "The Veldt," examining development techniques/choices.

Chase practiced using regular -ar and er/ir verbs in the simple past preterite tense.