Yesterday,I distributed an essay question on the novel,"Their Eyes Were Watching God" that addressed the main character's journey of self -discovery and required tying the novel's themes to two poems by Langston Hughes. For homework, Olivia prepared an outline which we reviewed and discussed today. We first examined ways to describe Janie's life journey in terms of self-knowledge ,independence and finding one's voice in the face of societal oppression. As the essay raises the role of the recurring symbol of the "horizon", we added to the outline examples of Janie's horizon ,her dreams , and the impediments created by Janie's early marriages to her reaching her dream of living a fully realized life. As Olivia's outline fully integrated the metaphors contained in the poem, "Dreams" into her outline ,we then addressed the question the poet raises in "Harlem", "What happens to a dream deferred?" The poet suggests many possibilities, and we examined ,per the essay question. how the novel's main character might respond to this query. In order to give Olivia practice writing a timed essay, during tomorrow 's session , Olivia will write the essay based on the discussed outline. For homework , she can begin the essay if she wants to get a start on the writing.

I continued to work with Olivia to calculate the trigonometric functions of special angles and to also calculate the functions of angles beyond 360 degrees. We also worked with the relations between trigonometric functions that are reciprocals of each other. There was no assignment.

After examining portions of the federal government's website explaining the basis for federal jurisdiction , I discussed the types of cases that a federal court can adjudicate and the often distinct types of cases state courts handle. We spent time examining the terms,"federal question "jurisdiction and "diversity jurisdiction " and I provided examples of disputes that fall within each category. We further explored the "case and controversy" and "standing" requirements for filing a federal court claim. While we are not focusing on the state court system, we did note the names of the trial and appellate courts in Florida. Last, we discussed the role of precedent and stare decisis in the appellate court system. For homework, I assigned reading on the role of the US Supreme Court.

After distributing the final essay on the novel, we analyzed the symbolic significance of the main character's search "for the horizon" and discussed how to address the essay question and how to organize the response. We traced the trajectory of the main character's life ,and I provided instruction on how to incorporate the themes of the two Langston Hughes' poems we studied into the essay response. Olivia then composed a topic sentence which we discussed followed by Olivia starting an outline for the essay. Last, we located textual support and quotes from the novel and included them in the outline.For homework, Olivia is completing an outline of the essay that we will review tomorrow.

I instructed Olivia to make a chart of the following columns: across the top were radian angles, coordinates, quadrants, and degrees. Down the side were all of the special angles on the unit circle. I explained each of the entries in the chart as we filled it in together. After we finished the chart, I demonstrated how the information could be used with the definitions of each trigonometric function to find the values. We did a couple of problems. There was no assignment.

We reviewed the scope of the jurisdiction of the different courts within the federal court system. I addressed the function and procedure within the appellate courts, and we again defined the terms: opinion, majority opinion, dissenting opinion, and precedent . We further reviewed the types of cases the Supreme Court accepts focusing on "conflict jurisdiction " which arises when two Circuit Courts of Appeal reach opposite conclusions on the same issue. For homework, I assigned completing the study guide on the federal courts.

In the novel's closing chapters, the main character's husband dies .We explored the Christ imagery in the author's description of his death . I noted how the way Janie holds her husband draped over her lap is reminiscent of the Pieta, and I projected an image of the famous statue of Mary mourning the crucified Christ. Olivia quickly noticed the resemblance between the statue and the novel's description thereby reinforcing the Christ imagery . We then discussed the author's view of God given the religious implications of the imagery. For homework, I distributed the final essay question . An essay outline is due tomorrow.

I worked with Olivia on problems calculating the six trigonometric functions of special angles on the unit circle. All of the angles were expressed in radian measure and included both negative and positive angles. The calculations consisted of using the definitions of each function and the coordinates of the special angles. There was no assignment.

We delved into the difference between state court and federal court as well as the different procedures that govern a trial and an appeal. I reviewed and defined the difficult concepts of : exclusive jurisdiction , general jurisdiction , limited jurisdiction, and concurrent jurisdiction. We examined good illustrations and charts in the textbook that illuminated these concepts ,and discussed the types of cases where federal courts have exclusive jurisdiction such as federal criminal law, bankruptcy, and disputes between states. I have distributed some very good charts and articles explaining the federal court system from the US federal court website ,and we used the material to identify the names of the various levels of courts in the federal court system . Last, I provided instruction on the types of cases the US Supreme Court accepts and the means by which cases can reach the Supreme Court through the filing of a writ of certiorari. For homework, I assigned reading the material from the federal court website explaining the federal court system.

Olivia was absent today.