Pre-AP: Say the Magic Word

There are a bunch of copies of Steinbeck's The Pearl at the Half Price Books at Firewheel Plaza in Garland. I picked up four for $3 each, and two copies of How to Read Literature Like a Professor for $7. (Prices for The Pearl ran from $3 to $6, with many in the $4-$4.50 range. Check the back cover of the newer versions and divide by two for the final price.) Don't forget to get a copy of A Christmas Carol while you're there.

Want one? Say the magic word -- Garfunkel -- and have exact change. (Get both for $10).

Pre-AP Reading for Week of 11/1

Come to class on Monday 11/1 ready to discuss:

William Golding's Lord of the Flies, Chapters 10-12

You should finish the book as soon as possible, so you can submit a draft or two of IWA #2 before the 11/5 drop-dead deadline.

Open-Ended Question for Katrina Article

Complete this Open-Ended Question (OEQ) for the Katrina Article:

What was the extent of the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina?

Remember to a) answer the question in general terms, and b) provide specific quoted evidence from the article to support your answer. That's all you need to do to get an 2 on the TAKS test (and 100% on this assignment).

"Comparison" Essay Prompt

Both Golding’s Lord of the Flies and Steinbeck’s “Vigilante” deal with mob mentality*. In a well-developed essay (develop a thesis, use quotes, etc.) compare both authors’ use of the idea and its aftermath on their characters. Come to a conclusion about what their stories say about mob mentality’s effects on humanity.

*Mob mentality refers to the way a group of people can get caught up and taken over with crimes of passion and do things they would normally not do individually.








(Bonus for people who read the fine print: I picked up three copies of The Pearl at Half Price Books this evening. Two are older copies, which cost $3; the other is a newer $3.50 copy. The first three people who pay with exact change may have them.) UPDATE It's halfway through the day and I still have one $3 book left!

Chapters of Lit/Prof That May Help IWA #2

If you're stumped on how to support your IWA #2 thesis -- and/or if you want to write an awesome paper -- consult these chapters from How to Read Literature Like a Professor:

• 2 - "Eating"
• 7 - "The Bible"
• 11 - "Violence"
• 12 - "Symbols"
• 13 - "Politics"
• 14 - "Christ Figures"
• 16 - "Sex"
• 22 - "Blindness"

Remember, all IWA submissions must be typed; see the guidelines.

Also, the Drop-Dead Deadline is November 5th. Turn in early drafts by Nov. 1st so you will have an opportunity to rewrite or revise.

Steinbeck's "The Vigilante"

Print your own copy, so you can annotate/mark it up for use in your essay. Find the story, online, here.

Pre-AP Reading for Week of 10/25

Come to class on Monday 10/25 ready to discuss:

William Golding's Lord of the Flies, Chapters 7-9

You should finish the book as soon as possible (and since you had early release on the 22nd you've got extra time this weekend), so you can submit a draft or two of IWA #2 before the 11/5 drop-dead deadline.