Homework: Read Speaking of Courage and Notes (131-154)

Homework for tomorrow:  Read 111-130 for tomorrow...Be prepared for a quiz on pages 65-130 tomorrow (15 -20  questions, 30-40 points

Pantyhose by TV Girl - Inspired by the Things They Carried



Chapter 7: “How to Tell a True War Story”

1. Find a few of O’Brien’s elements of a “true war story.” (such as, “A true war story is never moral.”) Why does O’Brien believe these elements are important to a “true” war story?
2. Why is the baby water buffalo scene more disturbing than the death of one of O’Brien’s platoon members, CurtLemon?
3. O’Brien explains that this story was “not a war story. It was a love story.” In what sense is this a “love story”? Why?

Chapter 9: “Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong”
1. Characterize Mark Fossie and Mary Anne Bell in a six box cartoon or image
2. Describe the changes in Mary Anne Bell from the time she arrived in Vietnam to be with her boyfriend until the end of the chapter. Be specific and record moments from the text (page numbers and descriptions) that demonstrate how she changed.
3. Why do you think she changed? What did the change symbolize? How long did this metamorphosis take?
4. Does it matter that Mary Anne is a woman? How so? What does the story tell us about the nature of the Vietnam War?
5. Does it matter what happened, in the end, to Mary Anne? Would this be a better story if we knew, precisely, what happened to her after she left camp? Or does this vague ending add to the story? Why?
6. “You’re in a place where you don’t belong.” Any parallels to today? How does our lack of understanding of a people and their place destroy us (as it does Fossie)? How does it make monsters of us? 

The Thing They Carried 

Quiz on Chapters 1-6

Reading Time: Read How To Tell A True War Story, Dentist, The Sweetheart of Song Tra Bong 

for Monday (64-110)

The Things They Carried (Day 2)

Learning Target: I can reflect on the language and activities people adopt to hide their fear.

Activity #1) Bellringer (10 minutes; 5 minutes per question):  Answer each of the following with short quotes from the text embedded into your responses (three to four sentences each):

      Inferential Question #1): What does O’Brien mean when he says “They used a hard vocabulary to contain the terrible softness” (20)?  What is a hard vocabulary? A terrible softness? What is the relationship between to the two. 

Inferential Question # 2:)  What does O’Brien mean when he writes “They were too frightened to be cowards” (top of 22)? 

Activity 2: Discuss questions (5 mins)

Activity 3:Reading Time (25 mins): Read On The Rainy River, Enemies and Friends (pp 37-63); 

Homework: Finish reading On The Rainy River, Enemies and Friends.  Quiz tomorrow on pages 1-63 (chapters 1-6).

I am currently grading your Beloved essays and I

will return those on Monday or Tuesday. 

Dear America: Letters from Vietnam

AP Lang Test Prep Day 6: Satire

Satire!!!  Funny, funny, ha ha or a tearing of flesh!

HW: Read 26-36 in The Things They Carried

Vietnam Draft Announcement

1.1. Inferential Question:  O’Brien gives us repeated peaks into Jimmy Cross’s mind, especially as it is preoccupied with Martha.  On page 1, O’Brien writes, “More than anything, he wanted Martha to love him as he loved her,” and it seems clear that she does not love him.  Why do you think that Jimmy Cross loves Martha so much?  Why do you think that Martha apparently does not feel the same way about him?

22. Inferential Question:  Why did Lieutenant Jimmy Cross feel guilty about Ted Lavender’s Death?(page 6)

33. Inferential Question: What does O’Brien mean when he says “They used a hard vocabulary to contain the terrible softness” (20)?  What is a hard vocabulary? A terrible softness?

4.  Inferential Question:  What does O’Brien mean when he writes “They were too frightened to be cowards” (top of 22)? 

AP Lang & Comp test prep Day 5

Learning Target: I can recognize and respond to argument/persuasive essay prompts.

Activity 1: Look at a variety of essay 2 (rhetorical analysis) and essay 3 (persuasive).

Activity 2: Discuss your thesis/controlling idea for yesterday's in-class essay and your strongest example  to illustrate what you perceive to be the relationship between ownership and self.

Homework: Read chapter 1 (1-25) of The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien. 

AP Lang & Comp Test Prep Day 3

Learning Target: I can further familiarize myself with the types of passages and questions found on the AP Lang & Comp MC reading sections.

Typo in question 9:  It should read lines 26-29, not 16-29.

When you are finished, review your answers and then write a brief paragraph addressing the types of questions (e.g., main idea, author's purpose, rhetorical analysis, rhetorical modes, organization) or the style of question (e.g.  The author employs all of the following EXCEPT...) which you noticed you are missing.  Are there any trends?  Do you understand why you missed them? Leave this paragraph on the desk in front.  

No homework