11/5

Warm-up:  SWrite a reflection on your independent reading book.  What do you like and/or dislike?  Why?  Who would you recommend to read this book?  Why?  Why do you think I value it enough to put it on the list?  What skills did you improve by reading this book?  Explain.



Classwork:  Analysis of independent books' tone about 3 subjects, group charting activity

Independent Reading - Analysis of Three Subjects

Now that you have finished reading and annotating the first 3^rd of your book, as a group you will work together to complete the following assignment.

Create a chart that discusses 3 specific subjects of the text.  Do not attempt to tackle the big ideas – abstract nouns – that you listed for subject.  These huge ideas are too unwieldy to unpack thoroughly in this format.  For example: Do not make one of your subjects “race” if you are discussing Being a Black Man.  Instead choose something manageable such as unionized labor, criminal sentencing disparities, or joint custody of children.

For each of the 3 subjects, chart the following:

1.  Tone – author’s attitude toward the subject.  (You can use words of your own or those off the tone word list, but remember to describe his tone, not his writing style)

2. Diction – choose at least 5 words or phrases that contribute to creating the tone.  If you have multiple tone words because the author’s attitude toward the subject is complex and varied, label which tone word the diction choice produces. 

3.  Effect/Purpose/Function -  Obviously you are still gathering information about the text as a whole, but what does the author’s discussion of this topic seem to contribute to the text?  What is the author trying to accomplish?  Is s/he presenting an argument –logical or not?  Influencing your feelings?  Convincing you to believe something?  Narrating an event?  Comparing like or unlike things?  Making a point?  Expressing a new idea?  Debating an issue?  What should we think about the topic or person being discussed?

Example (incomplete) from Sherman Alexie’s “Superman and Me”:   

Subject	Tone	Diction	Effect/Purpose/Function
1.  Reading	Appreciation, Wonder, Awe
2.  His classmate’s attitudes toward education	Disappointment,  Frustration	“fought with my classmates” “could remember how to sing a few dozen powwow songs” “complicated stories and jokes” “failed were ceremonially accepted” – frustration “expected to be stupid” “struggled with basic reading”  “monosyllabic”  “submissively ducked”- disappointment	Alexie shows the huge disparity between what Indian kids CAN do and what they refuse to do in school in order to be accepted.  This proves that their intelligence is not limited, as their teachers think, but rather that his culture doesn’t value education. He is frustrated that their failure is their choice and that they don’t break the mold as he did.
3. His father	Admiration, Love, Respect

Homework:  Finish reading and annotating your book, prepare for Wednesday's essay