Today we explored how the setting in a story affects the mood. Andrew read from his book and identified how the author conveyed the setting throughout the story so far.
Today we compared/contrasted two stories, looking at the similar themes and the way the authors conveyed these themes through the characterization of the protagonists throughout the stories.
Intro to Reading Workshop. Andrew chose the book, "Kite Runner" for reading workshop. Today we discussed the expectations of reading workshop as Andrew begins a deep study of setting, character, plot, and author's purpose in his novel.
Intro to Reading Workshop. We discussed how to choose a book to read. We explored topics Andrew might be interested in as a starting point for his novel choice. I introduced "The Kite Runner", "The Bookseller of Kabul", and "The Tattooist of Auschwitz" as possible book choices.
Today we had an in-depth discussion on current events, which encouraged Andrew to think critically as well as recognize the value of active listening and understanding other points of view.
We continued our exploration of the themes present in "The Yellow Wallpaper." Andrew identified what the room symbolized and found text evidence to support his ideas.
Andrew started a close reading of a passage from "The Yellow Wallpaper", analyzing this section of the text and providing text-based evidence to demonstrate his understanding of the material.
Andrew engaged in a prereading discussion where he had to imagine being locked in a room with only a bed and a window. He expressed how his mental condition could begin to deteriorate if he was forced to stay there for a length of time. We then began an oral reading of the first half of "The Yellow Wallpaper", noting points in the text where the protagonist's mind begins to unravel and she becomes obsessed with the wallpaper.
We discussed Andrew's essay on symbolism and characterization in "The Story of an Hour". I suggested ways to improve his essay, including finding textual evidence to support his ideas.
