Learning Target: I will practice paraphrasing challenging passages, and then writing discussion questions using question stems. 

Topic Journal Word: In your composition notebook, please take 10 minutes to write about "Utopia".
Definitions and an example sentence are provided below.

1) an imagined place or state of things in which everything is perfect. The word was first used in the book Utopia (1516) by Sir Thomas More.

2 ) often capitalized :  a place of ideal perfection especially in laws, government, and social conditions

3) :  an impractical scheme for social improvement

synonyms:

paradise, heaven (on earth), Eden, Garden of Eden, Shangri-La, Elysium; idyll, nirvana, God's country;  "it may be your idea of Utopia, but it's not mine"

Briefly share what you wrote with a classmate. What genre did you choose? Non-fiction reflection? Rant? Internal monologue in a question and answer format? Poem? Fictional Parody?  

Spoiler alert: _____________ is Pearl's father. In light of this, what do you think of Dimmesdale's words and actions (or lack thereof) in the paragraph starting at the bottom of page 46 and continuing through the top of page 47, and his words at the top of page 48?  Re-read and then discuss with a partner.

If you have not already written your Text-based theme reflection for chapters III and IV, do that now. Don't forget to embed one or two short direct quotes (with page #'s) into the flow of your reflections. 

Note: I have decided to wait until tomorrow to hand out the full Scarlet Letter Essay assignment.

Next, begin today's evenings reading and question writing.  

In/class & Homework:

AP close reading and questioning practice: summarizing key passages for meaning and asking meaningful questions about those passages

1) Read chapter V (53-60) 

2) Then, write your Text-based theme reflection for chapter V.  Don't forget to embed one or two direct quotes with page #'s into your reflection.

3) Next, for chapters IV and V, paraphrase one passage from each chapter and then write a follow-up question using the question stems provided for you or writing questions with stems of your own which are of similar complexity. We will discuss these questions tomorrow.


Steps in the process:

a) Before you can even get to a critical question, particularly with a challenging text, paraphrase a complex sentence/idea.

Find a 1-3 sentence passage in your reading which captures your attention. Perhaps it seems related to a theme you are tracking or perhaps it intrigues you for some other reason. Record the passage exactly. Then, summarize it. 

Here is an example:

Copy the direct quote: "The founders of a new colony, whatever Utopia of human virtue and happiness they might originally project, have invariably recognized it among their earliest practical necessities to allot a portion of the virgin soil as a cemetery, and another portion as the site of a prison” (33). 

Summarize the passage in detail, making sure to explain key points: The founders of new societies have always recognized that the practical demands of human civilization necessitate a plan to deal with death and criminals. Because no matter what their hopes and ideals might have been, the fact remains, human beings are mortal and flawed.

b) Writing Discussion Questions...

Going back to Hawthorne’s original wording, what key words within Hawthorne’s phrasing beg bigger questions, or seem to tease out bigger themes and questions about those themes?

For example, see the questions below, created with the use of question stems. It takes patience and practice and good thinking to come up with good questions.

By the way, there are weak questions! Here’s one:

What are the strengths and weaknesses of Hawthorne’s description?

Instead, try this:  What are the strengths and weaknesses of Hawthorne’s depiction of the founders of Utopian societies; is he dismissive of their utopian ideals or does he provide a useful reality check?

Here are some more examples of good question stem questions for that passage...

• Given Hawthorne’s claim, what seems to be his attitude about Utopian thinkers and the founders who aimed to create Utopian societies?
• What case can be made that “invariably” may be the most important word in the sentence?
• What other words in the sentence can you make an argument for being the most important for revealing an attitude?
• Explain how your knowledge of the founders of America’s New England colonies can impact your reading of this entire sentence.
• What are the implications of Hawthorne contrasting the founder’s original projections for human virtues and happiness with a society’s earliest practical necessities? 

So, to recap:

For both chapters IV and V, do the following on a sheet of looseleaf or notebook paper:

1) identify a passage of interest

2) copy the passage down word-for-word (include the page # in parentheses)

3) summarize the passage, making sure to explain key points

4) write a good discussion question about that passage