Symbolism Overview: Day 39

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1. Homework. Students picked up a copy of their Grammar homework on the way in the door. Students had an opportunity to look over the questions and ask any questions. It is a worksheet focused on sentence combining, which will improve their writing. Research has shown that teaching grammar out of the context of writing does not greatly impact the student’s ability to write or read. Hence, sentence combining! The worksheet is due on Thursday, October 27.

Students also received their reading for tonight.

2. Grammar notes. We finished our notes on adjectives and adverbs today. If you were absent, get the notes for W11 from someone in my class or Ms. DelDotto’s class (Unit 1 Bubble Notes).

3. Introduction to Symbolism. Students learned the steps to identifying a symbol in literature, guided by the handout (L11 — get it from Ms. Fowler if you were absent). Here are the steps, complete with hand motions!:

  • Read the passage (make a book opening motion)
  • Identify the characteristics of the object (pointing motion)
  • Ask yourself, “Who or what else in the world has these qualities?” (shrug your shoulders)
  • The object in the passage represents blank. (box motion for “object” and finger drawing an underline for “blank”)
  • Defend your statement (punching motion)
4. Applying Symbolism to “Storm Warnings.” We read Adrienne Rich’s haunting poem “Storm Warnings” in partners and followed the steps as a whole class. As partners read, they circled the words relating to weather. We came up with the characteristics of the storm, then compared weather to emotions. Get notes from a friend if you were absent.
5. Applying Symbolism to “The Moth.” We read a short passage of this Annie Dillard piece aloud to students. Then, in small groups students began applying the steps to the reading. We will continue this tomorrow.
HW: 
All: Grammar worksheet due October 27 (Thursday)
Honors: Read “Winter Dreams” just up to section III. Summarize each section after the star on a separate sheet of paper (1-2 sentence summary).
Regular: Read “Liberty” to the top of the p. 247, or until the third star. Summarize each section after the star on a separate sheet of paper (1-2 sentence summary).

Published by garvoille