And Then There Were None reading schedule

On this day		Be finished with this section	…end on this page	# of pages to read for that day
Block 4	Block 7
Friday, 10/26		I	16	15
		II	38
		III	56
Thursday, 11/1	Friday, 11/2	IV	67	32
		V	81
Monday, 11/5	Tuesday, 11/6	VI	96	29
		VII	108
Wednesday, 11/7	Thursday, 11/8	VIII	124	28
		IX	150
Friday, 11/9	Monday, 11/12	X	163	19
		XI	177
		XII	190
Tuesday, 11/13	Wednesday, 11/13	XIII	203	40
		XIV	220
Thursday, 11/15	Friday, 11/16	XV	236	33
		XVI	245
		Epilogue 1	259	23
Monday, 11/19	Tuesday, 11/20	Epilogue 2	275	16

Library Field Trip TUESDAY 10/30

Here is Sherry's email, in case you see it here first...

This is a second reminder about our field trip to the LA Public Library downtown next Tuesday, October 30.

• We need all students at the NoHo Metro Station (NE corner of Lankershim and Chandler) by 8:30 AM. Our train leaves before 9.
• Pick-up will be at the same location by 3 PM.
• Barry is making arrangements for those who are participating in the cross country meet at Pierce Tuesday afternoon.
• Your kids will need $5 (in ones or a five) for the subway, and either a sack lunch or money to buy lunch at Olvera Street. They should also have an LAPL library card.
• NO LAPTOPS or big backpacks.
• My cell phone is (818) 430-2254. I should be reachable except between 10-12 when we’re in the library, or when we’re on the subway.

Please let me know by MONDAY if you’re having transportation problems!

Essay Assignment - Agatha Christie research paper

The Prompt

Agatha Christie’s novels have been so popular for so long, she has become an important part of our popular culture.

Using at least three different sources, write an essay describing one area in which Christie’s literary legacy continues to reach audiences.

An “area” can be…

Literary – just reading the books

As a literary figure – Agatha Christia as a historically important person

Biographical – Agatha Christie’s personality and how she is understood (or misunderstood) by others

Film and Television – adaptations of Christie’s work for the big or small screen

Theater – plays written by Christie or plays and musicals adapted from her work

Intro

The first paragraph must be an introduction, containing a hook, a topic sentence and a thesis statement.

Conclusion

The last paragraph must be a conclusion, containing a progressive re-statement of the thesis and summation of the ideas and information you have provided. There can be no new information in the conclusion, but be careful not to sound repetitive either.

Body Paragraphs

Between the first and last paragraph are three body paragraphs.

Each body paragraph must contain a topic sentence, at least three significant pieces of information, at least one commentary and a concluding sentence. In some cases, the commentary can be combined with the concluding sentence.

A piece of information is significant if it connects the reader to your overall thesis. To say that The Mouse-Trap is the world’s longest running play is significant in many ways. But if your overall thesis is an attempt to prove that Christie’s female detectives are quirky self-portraits, then The Mouse-Trap is pretty irrelevant.

Make sure when you are done writing that you check what you’ve written against these requirements.

Due date

The first draft of this essay is due Wednesday, November 7.

Adapted Shaper

Here is the Shaper Worksheet
It is set up for paragraphs that contain three concrete details and one commentary.

Agatha Pre-Reading Essay (WORKSHEET)

Here is a worksheet for the Pre-reading essay we will be writing on the author Agatha Christie. This assignment is designed to help you use information from other sources, either by paraphrasing or inserting a partial quote, but still give that source credit.

Block 4 Please Note: Read the instructions carefully. In the example area, I provided two versions for each response, but you only need to do one.

This is due at the end of class on 11/1.

Agatha Christie Fact Sheet

This Worksheet (click here) is due by the end of class on Wednesday for Block 7 and before class begins on Tuesday for Block 4.

Block 4

• Maddie - Body of Work
• Max - Personal Life
• Gabe - Literary Legacy
• Elan - Film and TV Adaptations
• Leonore - Series (Poirot, Marple, Battle, etc)
• Jesse - Historical Context

Block 7

• Oliver - Plays
• Daniel - Film and TV Adaptations
• Austin - Body of Work
• Stephen - Biographies and Dramatic Portrayals
  
• Ruby - Personal Life
  

Useful Template

The rather talented Austin Bruckner invented a template for essay writing that has been very helpful in his writing, and might help yours as well.

I tend to give out separate worksheets for each paragraph of a multi-paragraph essay, but Austin has found a way to put all the paragraphs in one place while still separating the Concrete Details, Commentaries, Topics, etc.

If you're the type of writer who likes to see the whole structure all at once, this is the template for you. If you you find it easier to do one paragraph at a time, stick with the less overwhelming one-paragraph-at-a-time method.

Click here for Austin's Cool Template

Essay Assignment - Due October 11

Overall

In the 121 years since Robert Louis Stevenson wrote The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, the English language has gone through many changes. Some of the words and phrases used in this book have different meanings now than when this book was written, and some seem to have dropped out of usage altogether.

For each word or phrase, the reason for the change may be slightly different, but can you spot any trends?

• Is it that advances in technology have created so many new words and ideas, causing parts of Stevenson’s vocabulary to become obsolete?
• Or maybe the values of the society we live in are so different from the world of 1886 that we need different words to express ourselves.
• On the other hand, you may find that the way we view science – its potential to help and to harm us – has developed in a way that new words have replace old words, or the old words have changed meaning.

The Prompt

Write a mulit-paragraph essay describing the reason for certain changes to our language, using at least four examples. For these examples, use specific words or phrases in the novel that you believe have changed meaning or dropped out of usage.

Requirements

Length

Your essay must be a minimum of four paragraphs.

• Paragraph One: Introduction
• Paragraph Two: Body Paragraph with at least two examples (words or phrases from the book)
• Paragraph Three: Body Paragraph with at least two more examples
• Paragraph Four: Conclusion

You may write more paragraphs if you wish, but if each of the main four are thorough, you won’t need to.

Formatting

Double line spacing

Use Times font, in the 12 point size

Your name, the name of the assignment and date in the upper right corner

Saving and sending the file

Your first name must be part of the file name, for example, “BobJekyllVocabEssay.doc”

You must save in a format compatible with Microsoft Word, any version from 1993 to present.

When you email the file, your Subject Line must include the words “Jekyll Essay”

Due date: Thursday, October 11

Use your previous work

Because you have already completing a worksheet about the vocabulary from this book and how it has changed over time, a lot of your work is already done.

Look at your ten words and see how many of them appear to have changed for similar reasons.

Do any pairs or words go together particularly well? If so, they should be in the same body paragraph, and your topic for that paragraph will be supported by these two examples. Do the same thing for one more paragraph and you’re set; you’ll have all four examples in place!

Once you have isolated the four vocabulary words (or phrases) you will use and you know what made you group them together, you are ready to write your thesis and introduction.