Reviewed the first two chapters of 'Lord of the Flies'. We discussed the challenges the boys faced. Sam made some predictions about what might happen. Together we read and discussed Chapter 3.

Natalie studied Robert Louis Stevenson today and took an open book quiz. She concluded that work by selecting passages from his novel on Jekyll and Hyde, and writing a summary or any reactions/remarks on his writing. Natalie is working an her documented argumentative essay using the materials from my composition one teacher book for Palm Beach State -- this will help her be successful when she enters her first writing class in college this coming year. There will probably be one or two attempts that will be rough drafts that I can use to teach her more.

Sam and I continued our discussion of the novel. We read chapter two together, stopping frequently to define difficult vocabulary. We also discussed the political undertones with this chapter. We then answered the accompanying study guide questions.

Natalie is working her way through the novel, Heart of Darkness, with commendable diligence. I supplied her with sources of material to aid her in understanding its themes, symbols, and imagery. In this session, Natalie focused on an activity sheet, in the workbook I gave her, on the theme of Colonization. She must collect six pieces of textual evidence and then analyze this according to the theme. Additionally, I gave her copies of pages from my college composition book with strategies for writing a thesis, intro paragraph, and conclusion. Another handout I gave Natalie is from the PBSC library that we looked at together which clearly shows documentation for a variety of sources. She will use this in crafting the essay for Heart of Darkness.

Sam and I were to continue our study of the novel.

Today, we began our exploration of the topic of “human nature”. Specifically, Will is going to be taking a position on the fundamental “goodness/evilness” of human nature. He reviewed the literary vocabulary that he had for homework. He was able to articulate examples of allegories, dystopia, theme, symbols and dramatic irony. Next, we explored the literary terms: allusion, conflict, archetype, and dynamic power. This led to a great discussion, as Will shared examples of these literary terms from current movies. For homework, Will should read William Golding’s obituary and highlight key details. As he reads the information, he should look for clues and insights into what William Golding’s opinion would be on our essential question regarding the inherent "goodness" or "evilness" of man.

Will completed his essay on “Why I Write” in class today. We had great discussions around this assignment, as he reflected on what made writing easy or hard. We discussed how communicating in words is so different from talking. We also discussed on demand writing verses writing for pleasure. Will did an awesome job on this assignment. Then, I introduced our next unit of study. We will be exploring the topic of “human nature”. Will is going to be studying and then taking a position on the fundamental “goodness/evilness” of human nature.

Natalie worked through the British author, Lewis Carroll, today. She did well on an open-book test. We then reviewed the argumentative components for her upcoming essay -- due in three weeks to give time to research and revise. Natalie has a list of topics and also an example first-year college essay for further help. She has several pages from my college textbook on argumentation for reference. The essay will be about four pages in MLA. She will consult OWL at Purdue online for any documentation issues.

Sam and I were to continue our study of the novel.

Natalie received the Heart of Darkness packet I prepared for her this morning that includes background information on both the author and relevant items concerning colonization at that time in the Congo. While this colonization remains the central theme, there are other themes to consider such as racism and women and work. Natalie has worksheets on close reading with short summaries that help her fill in the analyses of the chosen scenes or vignettes. The packet also includes three essay prompts that escalate in difficulty and encompass Standards set for seniors. The plan is to complete this work in five weeks, then take an exam on the 6th week, leaving enough time to do one more piece of literature before college!