Lesson 1(**)

Welcome to your first day of school! I wanted to give you one important reminder before you begin. Many of your lessons below have an internet link for you to click on. When you go to the different internet pages for your lessons, please DO NOT click on anything else on that page except what the directions tell you to. DO NOT click on any advertisements or games. DO NOT click on anything that takes you to a different website. Just stay focused on your lesson and then close that window and you should be right back here for the next lesson. Okay?

1. If you didn’t get here through My EP Assignments, I suggest you go there and create an account.
2. Please scroll up to read notes about this course! Lots of info is at the top of this page. Please see also your learning outcomes.

Unit: The Colonial and Early National Period (Beginnings-1830)

1. (*)Print out your Grading Sheet for the first quarter or use the Excel version.

Vocabulary

1. Keep a vocabulary notebook and/or note cards for terms you will be learning about. You will have bi-weekly vocabulary quizzes throughout the course and vocabulary words will appear on your unit tests.
2. You will be studying terminology related to the historical context of the period we are discussing as well as literary terminology.
3. Record these words and their definitions in your notes. Click on each term and summarize its definition so you have a clear understanding of its meaning: narrative, archetype, myth, oral tradition
4. An EP student made vocabulary lists for this course. You may want to bookmark the page of lists.

Reading*

1. Always take notes as you complete your readings, keeping in mind upcoming tests and writing assignments. This is a literature survey course. We are looking at individual authors and their works, but also at the big picture in literary movements and their historical context.
2. Read about Native American Oral Literature.
3. Read the Onondaga tribe’s story, “The Earth on Turtle’s Back”.
4. Read the Modoc tribe’s story, “When Grizzlies Walked Upright”.
5. Read the The Navajo Origin Legend.
6. *Complete the Native American Myths Handout.
7. What makes these myths (and others like them) essential to American Literature?
8. Native American literature is rooted in oral tradition and stories were passed down. Myths discussed beliefs about the origin and nature of the physical world, social order, appropriate behavior, human nature, as well as good and evil.
9. Oral literature was often characterized by repetition and ritual.
10. Archetypes were common in these stories as good vs. evil was represented often with characters like a mother goddess, an old man, a trickster, water, fire, celestial elements, etc.
11. Outside Reading Assignment: Over the first 3 weeks of this course, you will read Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel, The Scarlet Letter, in addition to the reading assignments I will list on each day’s work. Today you will receive a reading assignment and a related work assignment. The reading and assignment should be completed by the end of the week. You can decide how much you want to read each day to stay on schedule. The outside reading should NOT be considered optional. You will be tested on this material within this course and it will be literature you should know about for the American Literature CLEP.
12. The Scarlet Letter (1850) has some heavy subject matter, so parents should be aware of the specific themes discussed. It is important to be familiar with this novel when discussing significant works of American Literature.
13. Watch the video summary.
14. Look at part 1 of the study guide for The Scarlet Letter.
15. For this week, read Chapters 1-8 of The Scarlet Letter. Complete part 1 of the Study Guide. You should expect to be done with this assignment by Lesson 5. Lesson 5’s Reading portion of your class will go over this assignment.

Writing

1. Read about Close Reading of a Literary Passage.
2. Read about Annotating and Close Reading.
3. This is the end of your work for this course for your first day. You are allowed to move at your own pace (this is homeschooling), but it’s intended you complete one lesson a day.

Lesson 2

Vocabulary

1. Record these words and their definitions in your notes. Click on each term and summarize its definition so you have a clear understanding of its meaning: conceit, oxymoron , parallelism/parallel structure,

Reading

1. Watch this short video on the settling of Jamestown in 1607.
2. Read about John Smith.
3. Read about John Smith’s journals and writings.
4. Early American writers first had to ensure their own survival before they could think about writing for entertainment. These early writings were more about keeping historical records than of creating something with literary value, so these works would be narratives, descriptions, observations, reports, journals, and histories. We need to be mindful of this when reading them in this current day.

Lesson 3

Vocabulary

1. Record these words and their definitions in your notes. Click on each term and summarize its definition so you have a clear understanding of its meaning: litotes, allusion, connotation, denotation, style,

Reading

1. Read about the Puritans.
2. Read about William Bradford.
3. Watch the video and read about the Mayflower Compact.
4. Read this article containing excerpts from Bradford’s “Of Plymouth Plantation”. (Use the questions to help direct the notes you take on what Bradford writes.)
5. Bradford uses several literary devices to create his own style. The way an author uses language is his or her style. If an exam question asks you to describe the style an author uses, you should describe the rhetorical devices the author uses to create his or her style.
6. “But to omit other things. . .” is an example of beginning sentences with a coordinating conjunction. Can you find anymore in the text?
7. Look again at the definition of litotes from your vocabulary. Bradford uses this device in his writing. Here is one example: “…they were not a little joyful…” Can you find another example in the text?
8. Look back at yesterday’s definition of parallelism or parallel structure. Can you find any examples of parallel structure in Bradford’s work? Here is one: “…they had now no friends to welcome them nor inns to entertain or refresh their weatherbeaten bodies; no houses or much less towns to repair, to seek for succor…” Bradford uses infinitives and nouns to create an orderly listing of what the Pilgrims are going through.

Writing

1. Read about 7 Critical Reading Strategies. (Yes, this is related to writing!)

Lesson 4

Vocabulary

1. Record these words and their definitions in your notes. Click on each term and summarize its definition so you have a clear understanding of its meaning: hyperbole, personification, alliteration

Reading

1. Read about Calvinism in New England Puritan Culture.
2. Tell someone what T.U.L.I.P. means.
3. Puritans believed that God had absolute sovereignty and authority. They believed sin was something to be fought and that it was God’s grace that saved those he elects. Of course these beliefs would influence the literature they produced.
4. Read about Puritanism in American Literature.

Lesson 5

Vocabulary

1. Record these words and their definitions in your notes. Click on each term and summarize its definition so you have a clear understanding of its meaning: diction, assonance, consonance

Reading

1. Today you should be done with Chapters 1-8 of The Scarlet Letter as well as part 1 of the study guide.
2. Go over your completed study guide questions with your parent/guardian.

Writing

1. Write a Response to Literature for the first eight chapters of The Scarlet Letter. Review the instructions for Response to Literature assignments in the course description at the top of this page.
   • The instructions for a Response To Literature are at the top of the course page above Lesson 1. Be sure to read those before you start!
2. Record your score out of 30 on the grading sheet using the rubric.

Lesson 6

Vocabulary

1. Record these words and their definitions in your notes. Click on each term and summarize its definition so you have a clear understanding of its meaning: ambiguity, anachronism, anecdote

Reading

1. Read about John Winthrop.
2. Read about the Massachusetts Bay Colony.
3. Read an excerpt from “A Model of Christian Charity” by beginning with the words, “Now the onely way to avoyde this shipwracke”. (Use your function keys for a search for that phrase on the page. It’s toward the bottom.) Read to the end of the page.
4. How does John Winthrop’s “A Model of Christian Charity” provide a founding vision for his colony? For the future United States of America?
5. What does this sermon explain about the beliefs and goals of the Puritans?
6. This sermon may be seen as a “motivational speech.” What is Winthrop communicating with his audience that may make them feel motivated or feel positively about?
7. A very powerful and lasting image comes from the phrase “city on a hill.” Think carefully about this image. What concrete ideas does it make you think about? What’s the significance of a literal city on a hill? What imagery would Winthrop be creating for his Puritan community and their sense of mission?
8. Outside Reading Assignment: For this week, read Chapters 9-15 of The Scarlet Letter. Complete part 2 of your study guide. You should expect to be done with this assignment by Lesson 10. Lesson 10’s Reading portion of your class will go over this assignment.

Lesson 7

Vocabulary

1. Record these words and their definitions in your notes. Click on each term and summarize its definition so you have a clear understanding of its meaning: lyric, apostrophe, captivity narrative

Reading

1. Puritan literature was usually written in a very plain style. It was characterized by clear expression – short words, direct statements.
2. Learn about America’s First Book, The Bay Psalm Book.

Writing

1. You will have a Reflective Essay due on Day 30. Essays are to be 500-700 words long. Here is the Reflective Essay Rubric you will be using to grade this essay. Review the rubric for an idea of what is expected of you and refer to it as you write your essay. A reflective essay is your chance to write about your own views of a personal encounter or experience. This type of writing is more than just your personal feelings. Writing reflective essays is an important element in academic writing. It requires analysis and personal reflection with substance to it. We will be going through lessons to help teach you how to craft a strong essay. Everyone will write at their own pace, so you may need to revisit the writing lessons at different points in the course. That is fine. Use your time wisely to be able to complete the essay by (or before!) the due date.
   
2. Your papers should be presented in MLA format style. Use this MLA Formatting and Style Guide to assist you.
3. Choose from the following ideas: a life-changing experience, a mistake, or a world event.
4. Life-changing experiences can be happy or traumatic, but they can have a tremendous impact on us. Discuss your mentality and life’s direction before the event and how things have changed since. How has the experience shaped your goals and thoughts about the future?
5. We all make mistakes, but some mistakes change us. Your outlook or the direction your life was going may have been changed by this mistake. Think about what led up to the mistake, what you could have done differently, and how that mistake changed you for better or worse. If this mistake impacted you in a negative way, what steps have you taken to change things for the better?
6. Sometimes world events can have a huge impact on us. Was this event a good thing or a tragedy? Think about and analyze the way the event affected others and how it personally affected you. For this type of essay, you’d need to use credible facts and references. Share what you believe would be steps the community or political realm could either take to prevent it from happening again – or if it’s a good thing – to encourage it to happen again.

Lesson 8

Vocabulary

1. Record these words and their definitions in your notes. Click on each term and summarize its definition so you have a clear understanding of its meaning: rhythm, iamb, trochee, meter

Reading

1. Read about Anne Bradstreet.
2. Anne Bradstreet’s writings focused on the themes of Puritanism, motherhood, matrimonial love, nature, feminism, humility, sickness and death.
3. Read the poem “To My Dear and Loving Husband”(1678).
4. Read the article, Anne Bradstreet: “To My Dear and Loving Husband”.
5. Read the poem, “Prologue”.
6. What is the poem’s meter? (answer: iambic pentameter)
7. What is the poem’s rhyme scheme? (answer: ABABCC)
8. What are some words used in “Prologue” which show a position of humility? (answer: “mean” “foolish, broken, blemished,” and “weak or wounded”)
9. Look over the 5th stanza of “Prologue”. What do you think the speaker is describing?
10. Women in that time were not supposed to find interest in things outside of their husbands and family life. As a writer, Anne Bradstreet was breaking all the rules. Her writing was criticized harshly because she was a female and because she spoke out against the societal roles for women.
11. Anne Bradstreet was the first North American to have a book of poetry published. This is significant for several reasons. Bradstreet was a woman and a Puritan. She expressed her faith, her love for her husband, and her love for her home in her writings. However, she was not always content when it came to the restrictions placed on women by her society. She used her writing to publish her thoughts on all of these things.

Writing

1. Read the article about reflective writing
2. Take notes to help you plan your Reflective Essay.

Lesson 9

Vocabulary

1. Record these words and their definitions in your notes. Click on each term and summarize its definition so you have a clear understanding of its meaning: anapest, dactyl, spondee
2. Review your vocabulary from the past two weeks for your quiz tomorrow.

Reading

1. Read about Phillis Wheatley 1753–1784.
2. What are some facts that make Phillis Wheatley an important figure in American Literature? Write them down in your notes.
3. Read “To The Right Honourable William, Earl of Dartmouth”.
4. Read the information and summary on the same page.
5. What were Wheatley’s motives for addressing a poem to Dartmouth? What reason does the poem give for her love of freedom?

Writing

1. Start to gather your ideas for your Reflective Essay. Brainstorm about your topic. This is a reflective essay, so you need to spend a lot of time reflecting on the topic you’d like to talk about.
2. Reflective writing includes description (what, when, who) and analysis (how, why, what if). You are using your writing as an exploratory tool.
3. You are going to be using different aspects of writing and language for your reflective essay. You will be using descriptive methods as you are outlining your topic. You will use explanatory language as you are explaining to your reader why or how this incident happened. Finally, you will be using expressive writing and language (I think, I feel, I believe).
4. Think about writing strong sentences even as you are describing feelings. Try not to use slang (colloquial language). The mechanics of your writing should be checked for errors. Always give your best effort.

Lesson 10(*)

Vocabulary*

1. *Take Vocabulary Quiz #1. Grade it by using the answer key. Record your grade out of 25, not 26. This gives you a potential for extra credit.
2. There will be a vocabulary midterm and final that will quiz you on some of these words. Really learn them and use them throughout the course to keep them in mind.
3. Record these words and their definitions in your notes. Click on each, term and summarize its definition so you have a clear understanding of its meaning: pyrrhic, trimeter, tetrameter

Reading

1. Today you should be done with Chapters 9-15 of The Scarlet Letter as well as part 2 of the study guide.
2. Go over your completed study guide questions with your parent/guardian.

Writing

1. Write a Response to Literature for this section of The Scarlet Letter. Review the instructions for Response to Literature assignments in the course description at the top of this page.
2. Record your score out of 30 on the grading sheet using the rubric.

Lesson 11

Vocabulary

1. Record these words and their definitions in your notes. Click on each term and summarize its definition so you have a clear understanding of its meaning: pentameter, hexameter, persona, conceit

Reading

1. Read about Edward Taylor.
2. Taylor’s writing often focused on self-examination, which was important to later generation Puritans attempting to understand their relationship to God.
3. Edward Taylor was considered the “American Metaphysical Poet”. Read about the Metaphysical poets.
4. Read “Huswifery”.
5. Taylor uses a central conceit (an extended metaphor that may be stretching reality) in this poem. Can you identify it?
6. Outside Reading Assignment: For this week, read Chapters 16-24 of The Scarlet Letter. Complete part 3 of your study guide. You should expect to be done with this assignment by Lesson 15. Lesson 15’s Reading portion of your class will go over this assignment.

Writing

1. As you begin to process your ideas for your reflective essay, be prepared to examine your beliefs, values, attitudes and assumptions. Consider how and why you think the way you do about this topic. Let those hows and whys help you form what you would like to share in your paper.
2. Use descriptive language to show that you have thought critically about the topic. You are writing about yourself, your ideas, and your opinions. Unlike other academic writing, using first person pronouns are allowed in these types of essays. You can be creative in your writing, but be sure the creative aspects don’t overshadow the message you are trying to convey. If you’re writing about something serious, keep the tone of your writing consistent with that.

Lesson 12

Vocabulary

1. Record these words and their definitions in your notes. Click on each, term and summarize its definition so you have a clear understanding of its meaning: tone, voice, symbolism

Reading

1. Read the description of The Enlightenment and the Great Awakening.
2. What are the major differences between The Enlightenment and The Great Awakening? Add these to your notes.
3. Read about Jonathan Edwards.
4. Read Jonathan Edwards’ sermon “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” (Here is an audio version of the sermon.)
5. Consider your prior knowledge of Puritan life and belief systems. In what ways does Edwards’ sermon model Puritan beliefs?
6. What are the prominent themes communicated by the images and analogies that Edwards uses?
7. This sermon is illustrating the biblical concept of sin being a great grievance against God that must be punished. There is a turning point in this sermon which begins with, “And now you have an extraordinary opportunity, a day where Christ has thrown the door of mercy wide open, and stands calling. . .” We can look at this sermon for the religious teaching that it was, but we can also examine it for the literary piece that it was.
8. How does Edwards use rhetorical elements in the sermon?
9. Read through these rhetorical devices and examples from the text. Take notes.
10. Take the Reading Comprehension quiz for “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”. Choose 5 questions. Record your grade out of 4 instead of 5. This gives you a potential for extra credit. If it asks for your teacher’s email address, you don’t enter anything. We receive no student work. (If this doesn’t work for you -it is slow to load, then you can do ten questions from here for a half point each.)

Lesson 13

Vocabulary

1. Record these words and their definitions in your notes. Click on each term and summarize its definition so you have a clear understanding of its meaning: aphorism, autobiography, blank verse

Reading

1. Read about Benjamin Franklin, the writer.
2. Read pages 10-12 and pages 38-39 of The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin.
3. How does Franklin feel about human nature? How does he feel about education? Do you agree or disagree with his views?
4. Which virtue on Franklin’s list do you believe is the most important? Which one would you say is the least important? Why?
5. When we read an autobiography, we should ask ourselves if the writer is being objective with how he presents himself or if he’s actually creating a character and idealized version of himself. If you were writing an autobiography, are there things about yourself that you would want to leave out?
6. Read about Benjamin Franklin’s Poor Richard’s Almanac in the article, “The Prominent and Prodigiously Popular Poor Richard”.
7. Read over Benjamin Franklin’s aphorisms and the virtues associated with them.
8. Choose 3 aphorisms from the list that you like. Write down the meaning of each aphorism and categorize it by whether it is a moral lesson, an implied metaphor, or just a funny comment on life.

Writing

1. Read over the article Reflective Writing: a basic introduction.
2. Take notes to help you in your essay planning.

Lesson 14

Vocabulary

1. Record these words and their definitions in your notes. Click on each, term and summarize its definition so you have a clear understanding of its meaning: balanced sentence, rhetorical question, imagery

Reading

1. Read about Patrick Henry.
2. Read Patrick Henry’s “Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death” speech.
3. Write a paragraph responding to Henry’s speech. How did it make you feel? What made his arguments powerful? How did he appeal to logic? How did he appeal to emotion?
4. How does Henry use rhetorical questions in his speech?
5. What Biblical and mythological allusions does Henry make in his speech? How would each allusion relate to what was happening in 1775? You may look these up to help you answer.
   1. “We are apt to . . . listen to the song of that siren, till she transforms us into beasts.” (Odyssey, Books 10 and 12)
   2. “Are we disposed to be of the number of those who, having eyes, see not, and having ears, hear not the things which so nearly concern their temporal salvation?” (Ezekiel 12:2)
   3. “Suffer not yourselves to be betrayed with a kiss.” (Luke 22:47-48)
6. Read about Thomas Paine.
7. Read the summary of Common Sense.
8. Read “The Crisis” by Thomas Paine (just the first page is needed).
9. What emotions does Paine appeal to? List a few examples of where Paine makes appeals.
10. Persuasive writers uses metaphors and analogies in their arguments. Paine uses an analogy connecting the King of Britain with a thief. What point is he trying to make using this analogy?

Writing

1. Writing a reflective essay will be similar to how you would write a narrative essay. You will include elements of a narrative: plot, characters, setting, conflict. A common structure for a reflective essay is Introduction, Body, and Conclusion. The event, any main characters, and the setting will all be “introduced” within your introduction.
2. Introductions do not need to be longer than one paragraph. Give the purpose of your paper, but don’t give too much detail in the introduction. The details should be saved for the body of the paper. Your introduction is just a preview of what is to come in your paper.

Lesson 15

Unit: The Romantic Period (1830-1870)

Vocabulary

1. Record these words and their definitions in your notes. Click on each, term and summarize its definition so you have a clear understanding of its meaning: point of view, prose, colloquialism

Reading

1. Just in time for us to begin discussing the Romantic Period in American Literature, today you should be done with The Scarlet Letter as well as part 3 of the study guide.
2. Go over your completed study guide papers with your parent/guardian. You can find a completed study guide here to use as a reference.
3. Take the quiz for The Scarlet Letter. Record your grade out of 24 instead of 25. This gives you the potential for extra credit.

Writing

1. Write a Response to Literature for the final portion or a response to the entirety of The Scarlet Letter. Review the instructions for Response to Literature assignments in the course description at the top of this page.
2. Record your score out of 30 on the grading sheet using the rubric.

Lesson 16

Vocabulary

1. Record these words and their definitions in your notes. Click on each, term and summarize its definition so you have a clear understanding of its meaning: allegory, free verse, anaphora

Reading

1. Read about Transcendentalism.
2. Read more about Nathaniel Hawthorne.
3. We are going to read the short story “Young Goodman Brown.”
4. Before you read the story, read this article in the Commending the Classics series, discussing the literary conventions and context.
5. As you read, be thinking about these questions:
   1. Who is Goodman Brown’s traveling companion?  What makes you believe this?
   2. What does Goodman Brown’s journey seem to symbolize?
   3. What experiences make Goodman Brown doubt the ideals of the religious neighbors?
6. Read “Young Goodman Brown.”
7. Write a Response to Literature. Review the instructions for Response to Literature assignments in the course description at the top of this page. Record your score out of 30 on the grading sheet using the rubric.

Writing

1. The body of your reflective essay is where it is most like a narrative. You are recreating an event and giving specific details. Your job here is to make it clear to the reader the reasons this event is significant.
2. Your event should be well developed. It may be a series of events or incidents that you’ll need to describe effectively. Give background information that is relevant. Be sure your events are organized clearly. If you are using chronological order, make sure that is known. You can also incorporate flashbacks, but you’ll need to be careful that this is not confusing to the reader. Keep a consistent point of view.
3. It is important that you remember enough about the situation or event to be able to write about it and to maintain interest in it (both for yourself and the reader).

Lesson 17

Vocabulary

1. Record these words and their definitions in your notes. Click on each term and summarize its definition so you have a clear understanding of its meaning: genre, character foils, novel

Reading

1. Read about The Romantic Period in Literature.
2. Read A Brief Guide to the Fireside Poets.
3. Read about William Cullen Bryant.
4. Read “Thanatopsis” (1821). This was his first critically acclaimed poem.
5. What event is being described in lines 8-17? (answer: death)
6. Who is the speaker in lines 18-72? (answer: Nature)
7. What human fear is being discussed in lines 58-60? (answer: the fear of dying alone)
8. What is the poem’s answer to that fear? (answer: Eventually everyone dies, so we are not alone in the experience.)
9. How does the author say we should approach death (lines 73-81)? (answer: with trust and a sense of comfort)
10. Romanticism was a movement which centered around imagination and emotion being more important than reason and formal rules. Also, where previously one was secure in the belief that God was in control, Romanticism looks more to Nature as a divine force. How does this piece fit those ideas? (answer: Emotion is being used to take away a fear of death. We should find solace in being emotionally connected with others who die. Nature is the great comforter here. Nature welcomes us in death (the elements of nature decorating the tomb)).
11. Read about Oliver Wendell Holmes.
12. Read “Old Ironsides”.
13. What is the alternative proposed in the poem for Old Ironsides? (answer: sink the ship)

Writing

1. Continue working on your Reflective Essay.

Lesson 18

Vocabulary

1. Record these words and their definitions in your notes. Click on each term and summarize its definition so you have a clear understanding of its meaning: satire, inversion, figure of speech

Reading

1. Read about Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.
2. Read “The Tide Rises, the Tide Falls”.
3. What is “The Tide Rises, the Tide Falls” about? (answer: All traces of human existence are erased by time.)
4. Read “A Psalm of Life”.
5. What does “Psalm of Life” encourage people to do? (answer: seize the day, live a life that will serve as an example for the future)
6. Read about James Russell Lowell.
7. Read Stanzas on Freedom.

Lesson 19

Vocabulary

1. Record these words and their definitions in your notes. Click on each term and summarize its definition so you have a clear understanding of its meaning: paraphrase, conflict, dialogue

Reading

1. Read about Transcendentalism. alternate link
2. Read about Ralph W. Emerson.
3. Read from Nature (1836). Read the Introduction and Chapters 1-3.
4. Emerson writes that there are ways the woods can change a man. Man can find truth in solitude and in nature. Man has the ability to enjoy perfect exhilaration. Man can cast off years. Man can return to reason and faith.
5. What do you think it means to say “Nature always wears the colors of the spirit”? (answer: Our feelings determine how we look at nature.)
6. Read from “Self-Reliance” (1830).
7. One characteristic of Transcendentalism was the belief that individuals should trust their own instinct, insight, and intuition when making important decisions. What problems do you see with this idea?
8. Moral relativism is a theme in “Self-Reliance”. We should “look inward for truth”. Do you think morals are dependent upon a situation and are relative to an individual? Or do you think morals are more definite than that? Is there an absolute wrong and right?

Writing

1. Look over the rubric for your Reflection Essay and compare what you have for your essay to the rubric expectations. How well are you doing? Where could you improve? Make changes as needed.

Lesson 20*

Vocabulary*

1. *Take Vocabulary Quiz #2. Grade it by using the answer key. Record your grade out of 21, not 22. This gives you a potential for extra credit.
2. Record these words and their definitions in your notes. Click on each term and summarize its definition so you have a clear understanding of its meaning: dialect, static character, dynamic character

Writing

1. Remember that your Reflective Essay is due on Day 30.
2. As part of your essay writing, when you turn in your essay, include a self-evaluation addressing the following questions:
   1. Did you stick with your original topic or did you change it along the way? Why?
   2. What problems did you encounter during the process of creating the essay?
   3. List two of the most important changes you made. Why did you make them?
   4. What part of your essay makes you the most proud? Why?

Lesson 21

Vocabulary

1. Record these words and their definitions in your notes. Click on each term and summarize its definition so you have a clear understanding of its meaning: irony, protagonist, antagonist

Reading

1. Read about Henry David Thoreau.
2. Read Chapter 5 “Solitude” from Walden (1854).
3. “I experienced sometimes that the most sweet and tender, the most innocent and encouraging society may be found in any natural object, even for the poor misanthrope and most melancholy man. There can be no very black melancholy to him who lives in the midst of nature.” How does this quote fit with the characteristics of Transcendentalism?
4. Find two other quotes capturing themes that are fitting. Write down why they are appropriate choices.

Writing

1. Read about Rhetorical Strategies writers use. Think about how some authors we have been studying use these strategies.
2. Continue working on your essay due on Day 30.

Lesson 22

Vocabulary

1. Record these words and their definitions in your notes. Click on each term and summarize its definition so you have a clear understanding of its meaning: external conflict, internal conflict, characterization
   

Reading

1. Read about Henry David Thoreau’s work, Civil Disobedience.
2. Read this excerpt (Sections 1-13) from Civil Disobedience.
3. Write a Response to Literature where you complete the following:
   1. Describe the historical background and reason why Thoreau wrote Civil Disobedience.
   2. What relevance does Civil Disobedience have for today’s audience?
4. Review the instructions for Response to Literature assignments in the course description at the top of this page.
5. Record your score out of 30 on the grading sheet using the rubric.

Lesson 23

Vocabulary

1. Record these words and their definitions in your notes. Click on each term and summarize its definition so you have a clear understanding of its meaning: comic relief, theme, plot

Reading

1. Read about American Renaissance & American Romanticism: The Gothic.
2. Read about Washington Irving.
3. Read “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.”
4. Write a Response to Literature using each of the following questions as a guide:
   1. What types of conflict (physical, moral, intellectual, or emotional) do you see?
   2. How does Irving reveal character in “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow”?
   3. Discuss some of the symbols in “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.”
   4. What supernatural or surprising events are employed by Washington Irving? Are these happenings believable?
5. Review the instructions for Response to Literature assignments in the course description at the top of this page.
6. Record your score out of 30 on the grading sheet using the rubric.
7. Read Rip Van Winkle.
8. Read over this study guide. Read each prompt and write a paragraph or two giving an answer. Include this in your Response to Literature journal, but don’t worry about grading it.

Lesson 24(*)

Vocabulary

1. Record these words and their definitions in your notes. Click on each term and summarize its definition so you have a clear understanding of its meaning: rising action, climax, falling action (look in the description for the definition of falling action)
   

Reading*

1. Read about Edgar Allan Poe.
2. Read “The Fall of the House of Usher” (1839).
3. *Complete this worksheet activity, Poe and “The Fall of the House of Usher”. The second page is the answer key.

Lesson 25

Vocabulary

1. Record these words and their definitions in your notes. Click on each term and summarize its definition so you have a clear understanding of its meaning: setting, motif, onomatopoeia
   

Writing

1. Continue working on your Reflective Essay due on Day 30.

Lesson 26(*)

Vocabulary

1. Record these words and their definitions in your notes. Click on each term and summarize its definition so you have a clear understanding of its meaning: atmosphere, refrain, epic
   

Reading*

1. Read “The Raven” (1845).
2. Read Poe’s own explanation of his choices in “The Raven” by reading his article, “The Philosophy of Composition”.
3. Read “The Tell-Tale Heart” (1903).
4. Write a Response to Literature for “The Tell-Tale Heart” using this “The Tell Tale Heart” Worksheet.
5. Read “Annabel Lee” (1903)
6. *Complete the worksheet “Annabel Lee: Lost Love.” The key is on the second page.

Lesson 27

Vocabulary

1. Record these words and their definitions in your notes. Click on each term and summarize its definition so you have a clear understanding of its meaning: tragedy, tragic flaw, monologue
   

Reading

1. Read about Herman Melville.
2. Read about Moby Dick (1846). We are not going to have time to read the whole novel, but you should familiarize yourself with this novel.
3. Read about Moby Dick as a great American novel.
4. Read an analysis of major characters.
5. Read about themes, motifs, and symbols.

Lesson 28

Poetry Unit

Reading/Vocabulary

1. Today we will be starting a poetry unit which will take us through the rest of this grading period. (Continue working on your outside reading as assigned and your Reflective Essay due on Day 30.) When you see a definition or a link to a definition, record it as you were your previous vocabulary words. Sometimes they will repeat from earlier in the course. Make sure you know them well enough to identify them in use.
2. We will be exploring several different styles of poetry, reviewing/learning literary terms specific to poetry, explicating poetry, and writing some original poetry.
3. Read the definition of a poem.
4. Read the definition of prosody.
5. Review the difference between Poetry and Prose.
6. When we examine writing of any kind, we need to keep in mind the author’s intentional use of literary elements and language to cause some sort of connection to the audience.
7. In thinking about poetry, keep in mind that the form (structure) and the content of the poem contribute to the overall meaning of the poem. The form and the content also play a part in creating that desired effect on the reader. Everything has a purpose. This is important to remember as you read an author’s work and as you create your own.

Writing

1. On Day 45, you will have a Poetry Explication Essay due. Your essay should be 2-3 pages in length. You should choose a poem we have not discussed in class. We will be talking about Walt Whitman and Emily Dickinson soon. There are many poems by those two authors that would work well for this assignment. Or you might choose to revisit earlier authors (Transcendentalists, Romanticists). Remember to choose an American author from a time period we have covered so far.
2. Use the poetry terms we have discussed in class as well as your own insight while reading the poem. A well-written explication will give the reader an idea of the literal meaning of the poem and also an analysis of its poetic devices. Include a copy of the poem you choose with your assignment.
3. Read this handout about Poetry Explication.
4. Use this Poetry Explication Rubric for grading.
5. While writing your paper continue to refer to the MLA Formatting and Style Guide.

Lesson 29(*)

Reminder: Your Reflective Essay is due tomorrow.

Reading/Vocabulary*

1. Let’s explore some of the major elements of poetry. Some of these may overlap a bit in our discussion.
2. Figurative language (and its figures of speech) can include similes, metaphors, personification, hyperbole, and cliche. The writer uses figurative language to describe something by comparing it with something else.
3. Imagery can be defined using our five senses. A visual image can be created, but other senses can be appealed to by a writer’s use of language as well. Lots of details and specific word choice are important for creating the exact image the reader should have in his or her mind while reading the text. Imagery often uses symbolism.
4. *Complete this Figurative Language Worksheet.

Lesson 30(*)

ESSAY DUE

Vocabulary*

1. *Take Vocabulary Quiz #3. Grade it by using the answer key. Record your grade out of 21 not 22. This gives you a potential for extra credit.

Writing

1. Your Reflective Essay is due today. Essays are to be 500-700 words long. Here is the Reflective Essay Rubric you will be using to grade this essay. Follow the directions on the rubric and record your score.

Lesson 31(*)

Reading/Vocabulary*

1. Sound devices are another element of poetry. There are many ways sound devices can be used in poetry. Let’s review alliteration, onomatopoeia, assonance, and consonance.
2. *Complete the Sound Devices worksheet. (answers: 1. assonance 2. alliteration 3.consonance 4.alliteration 5.assonance 6.assonance, alliteration 7. assonance 8. consonance 9.assonance 10.assonance)

Writing

1. The Introduction for your Poetry Explication analysis should begin with a “hook”. This could be a question, a quote, a metaphor, or something else that catches the attention of your reader. Include a few sentences of background information in your introduction that connects the hook to your thesis. Background information should is important to the reader’s understanding of your message. The title and poet of your poem as well as a some information about where/when/why the poem was written. Your thesis sentence should state the interpretation of the poem’s meaning. A strong thesis will state your interpretation with confidence.

Lesson 32(*)

Reading/Vocabulary

1. Let’s look over some types of rhyme: internal rhyme, slant/half rhyme, eye/sight rhyme
2. Read about different types of rhyme.

Writing*

1. The body of your essay will consist of several paragraphs. Your analysis should be done through a method known as SOAPSTONE.
2. *Print the SOAPSTONE notes. Use this handout as you work on your poetry essay.

Lesson 33

Reading

1. Read the Academy of American Poets article How To Read A Poem.
2. Read The Writer’s Handbook article How To Read A Poem.

Writing

1. One option for organizing information within the body of your essay also uses an acronym approach like SOAPSTONE.
2. Read about MEAL plan.
3. Another option’s acronym is TIQA. It stands for:
   1. T: topic sentence
   2. I: introduce the quote by discussing the context of the quote
   3. Q: quote (Give the quote itself.)
   4. A: analysis (Explain the importance of the quote and link it back to the topic sentence.
   5. You may choose to repeat TIQA in the same paragraph. If you do this, the second T will stand for Transition. Use a sentence to transition from your first topic to your second topic. Keep it flowing naturally.

Lesson 34(**)

Reading/Writing**

1. Read about Walt Whitman.
2. We will be using an adaptation of a Read, Write, Think lesson plan. (The original can be found here.)
3. Read Walt Whitman’s poem, “I Hear America Singing”.
4. This is a list poem (or a catalog verse). It is “a poem comprised of a list of persons, places, things, or abstract ideas which share a common denominator”.
5. You will be writing a similar poem, but the topic will be about either your family/home or your community. You may also decide you want to write this about your church, a youth group, a homeschool co-op, or some other type of group like that.
6. *Print the worksheet Model Poem and look it over. Do not start working on it yet.
7. Whitman does not use specific names of people, but instead he uses occupations or their roles. Do the same with your poem.
8. *Fill out the Planning Sheet. (Ignore the use of “School”.) Use whatever your personal selection was to complete the planning sheet. Once you’ve finished your planning sheet, use it to as you fill in the blanks on your Model Poem worksheet.
9. Use your “Model Poem” sheet and begin filling that out. You are going to be filling the blanks with people and their roles in your chosen selection. You should circle the correct pronoun choices for the names that they use in the blanks on the handout. You will complete your poem tomorrow.

Lesson 35

Reading/Writing

1. Read your poem to someone. Have them list some of the groups you mention in your poem.
2. Whitman was actually criticized for his poem “I Hear America Singing,” because he seemed to exclude groups of people.
3. Years later, Langston Hughes would write a poem responding to Whitman’s. Read “I, Too, Sing America”. What do you think about the criticisms Hughes points out within Whitman’s poem?
4. Think about your poem now. Are there any groups that you may have left out in your poem? Why do you think that omission may have happened?

Lesson 36

Reading

1. Read Purdue Owl’s article “Writing About Poetry“.
2. Read this sample explication of Walt Whitman’s poem, “A Noiseless Patient Spider”.

Writing

1. Continue working on your poetry paper.

Lesson 37

Reading

1. Read about Emily Dickinson.
2. Read Tips for Reading Dickinson’s Poetry.
3. Read Major Characteristics of Dickinson’s Poetry.
4. Read “I heard a Fly buzz—when I died”.
5. Complete this worksheet on “I heard a Fly buzz-when I died”.

Lesson 38

Reading

1. Read “The Soul selects her own Society”.
2. Read “Hope is the thing with feathers”.
3. Read “I measure every Grief I meet”.

Writing

1. Complete the Poetry Analysis Worksheet for one of the poems we read today.
2. Use this study guide and compare what you came up with when you are done.

Lesson 39

Reading

1. Read about Harriet Beecher Stowe.
2. Read about Harriet Beecher Stowe in the article about how she changed history.
3. Explain to someone why Uncle Tom’s Cabin was such an important work.

Lesson 40

Reading

1. Read about The Slave Narrative.
2. Read about Frederick Douglass.
3. Read the plot overview of The Narrative of Frederick Douglass.
4. Read about the themes of The Narrative of Frederick Douglass.

Writing

1. Continue working on your poetry essay. Remember it is due on Day 45.

Lesson 41

Reading

1. Read the lecture, “How the Civil War Transformed American Literature”. This professor is talking about teaching this information, but the lecture contains valuable information for you.

Lesson 42(**)

Reading**

1. Read the article “A ‘Poetry-Fueled War'”.
2. Read about Frances Ellen Watkins Harper.
3. Read “Learning to Read”.
4. *Complete the annotation worksheet for “Learning to Read”. (source)
5. To better help in your understanding, note that verses 1–2/13–20 refer to the period immediately after Slavery. This is also known as the era of Reconstruction. Verses 3–12 refer to the period during Slavery.
6. Read about how some states made it illegal to teach a slave how to read and write.
7. Use the annotation worksheet Teacher Version to see how well you did in your annotation. It is found on this resources page and listed as Frances Ellen Watkins Harper’s “Learning to Read”: Annotated Teacher Version.

Lesson 43

Reading

1. Read about Louisa May Alcott.
2. Read the plot overview of Little Women.
3. Read about the themes of Little Women.

Lesson 44

Reading

1. Listen to Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address speech.

Writing

1. Give your Poetry Explication essay a final proofread and compare it to the rubric’s requirements. Be prepared to turn it in tomorrow.

Lesson 45

1. Your Poetry Explication Essay is due. Your essay should be 2-3 pages in length. Use this Poetry Explication Rubric and record the grade.
2. Print off your Quarter 1 Exam and complete it.
3. Review the Quarter 1 Exam Answer Key and record your Exam grade out of 30.

Lesson 46(*)

Second Quarter

Unit: The Period of Realism and Naturalism (1870-1910)

1. (*)Print out your grading sheet for the second quarter or use the Excel.

Vocabulary

1. Record these words and their definitions in your notes. Click on each term and summarize its definition so you have a clear understanding of its meaning: regionalism/local-color fiction, sentimentality/sentimentalism, elegy

Reading

1. Read an overview of American Literature from 1865-1914 starting on page 5.
2. Take notes on what was significant about Naturalism and Realism.
3. Outside Reading Assignment: Over the next 3 weeks of this course, you will read Stephen Crane’s novel, The Red Badge of Courage, in addition to the reading assignments I will list on each day’s work. For this week, you will read Chapters 1-7 of The Red Badge of Courage and complete pages 1-8 of this The Red Badge of Courage Study Guide. Today you will receive a reading assignment and a related work assignment. The reading and assignment should be completed by Day 50. You can decide how much you want to read each day to stay on schedule. The outside reading should NOT be considered optional. You will be tested on this material within this course and it will be literature you should know about for the American Literature CLEP.

Writing

1. You will be writing a Rhetorical Analysis essay this quarter. It will be due on Day 61. You will choose a piece of American nonfiction prose, particularly an essay or a speech. This should be a focused analysis of the writing. It is not supposed to be a summary or a personal critique. Use standard MLA format. The essay must be double-spaced, with one-inch margins all around. Please use a 12-point, Times New Roman font. Give your essay a creative title. It should be 2-3 pages long. Your essay will be graded using this Rhetorical Analysis Essay Rubric.
   
2. Watch the Purdue OWL: Introduction to Rhetoric video.

Lesson 47

Vocabulary

1. Record these words and their definitions in your notes. Click on each term and summarize its definition so you have a clear understanding of its meaning: rhetoric, foreshadowing

Reading

1. Read about Mark Twain.
2. Mark Twain is considered a Realist author and is especially known for writing local-color narratives (regionalism).
3. Read a summary of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. We will not have time to read this in this course, but it is an important novel to know. alternate link
4. Read about The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and its controversy.
5. Read about the themes of the novel

Writing

1. When you have chosen the rhetorical piece you would like to write your essay on, you should examine the historical context and the origin for your piece. What was going on in the nation at the time of this piece? How might that have fueled this piece being delivered? If this was a speech, when and where was it given? What is the significant of its time and location?
2. Read about Elements of Rhetorical Situations.

Lesson 48

Vocabulary

1. Record these words and their definitions in your notes. Click on each term and summarize its definition so you have a clear understanding of its meaning: frame narrative or frame tale, folk tale or  folklore

Reading

1. Read “The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County.”
2. Let’s examine the structure of this story. This is a frame narrative. The narrator retells a story he heard from a bartender, Simon Wheeler, about a gambler, Jim Smiley. The narrator tells his story in a first person point of view. The story within the story is in third-person and told by Simon Wheeler.
3. When the story was first released, James Russell Lowell called it, “the finest piece of humorous literature yet produced in America.” Who is the target of the humor in this story? (answer: Smiley, the narrator who was told by someone to seek out Simon Wheeler)
4. Dialect is a common tool used in regionalism literature. Is the dialect a help in this story? What does it do for the setting and for characterization? What does it do for the plot development and the narration?
5. How does this story fall into the category of Realism? Use specifics from the text to answer this.
6. Read How to Tell A Story.
7. What is the tone of this essay? (answer: humorous. . .It is satire.)
8. What does Twain think is the reason writers go to such great lengths in their storytelling? (answer: They want to be the center of attention and want to get a better reaction from their audience. They will choose to manipulate details to make them more interesting. They will repeat punch lines of jokes until they are no longer funny.)

Writing

1. Look over your choice for your Rhetorical Analysis Essay. Think about our earlier discussions of SOAPSTONE (Day 32). What is the Speaker, Occasion, and Subject? What can you say about the speaker? Your paper should include their credentials. Is this an essay or speech by a president, a general, a head of an organization, etc.? Be sure to choose appropriate research methods and cite your sources correctly.
2. What is the Purpose? What is the speaker trying to impress upon their audience? Use words to describe what the writer wants the audience to do or to think.
3. Who is the Audience? When was this essay or speech delivered? To what group of people was it delivered?
4. What is the Tone? Think of adjective(s) describing the attitude/feeling conveyed by the writer.
5. Read about Aristotle’s Rhetorical Situations.

Lesson 49

Vocabulary

1. Record these words and their definitions in your notes. Click on each term and summarize its definition so you have a clear understanding of its meaning: dramatic irony, situational irony, verbal irony (Read through the link to find each definition.)

Reading

1. Read about Ambrose Bierce.
2. Read “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge.” Here’s an audio book version.
3. How does Bierce fit into Realism or Naturalism with this piece? Most critics say Bierce cannot be pinned down to a literary category. We’re going to consider him a Naturalist for this course.
4. Write a a paragraph or two about how Bierce uses symbolism, suspense, and imagery in this story. Some specific things to discuss are the author’s use of time and foreshadowing. He uses the chronology of the story almost like a movie with a flashback and foreshadowing. Where are some specific places he does this? Discuss the imagery of the sluggish stream and the dancing driftwood.
5. There is no need to grade this exercise. It is just for some additional practice.

Writing

1. Rhetorical Analysis Essay – How would you characterize the style of the piece you are analyzing? Review the different types of style here.
2. Read about Text in The Rhetorical Situation.

Lesson 50

Vocabulary

1. Record these words and their definitions in your notes. Click on each term and summarize its definition so you have a clear understanding of its meaning: determinism, epigram, understatement

Reading

1. Today you should be done Chapters 1-7 of The Red Badge of Courage as well as pages 1-8 of the study guide.
2. Go over your completed study guide papers with your parent/guardian.

Writing

1. When writing your analysis, you should work chronologically through the text. You start at the beginning of the text and work your way through it. Discuss what the writer is saying and how effective the strategies he/she is using as you move through the text.
2. Depending on how long the text is and how it is organized you may be discussing paragraph by paragraph. Or it may be best to discuss the text in terms of sections with a beginning, middle, and end. Be sure to use proper transition words to demonstrate movement through the text and to clearly identify which portion you are discussing at that moment.
3. Read about Author and Audience in The Rhetorical Situation.

Lesson 51

Vocabulary

1. Record these words and their definitions in your notes. Click on each term and summarize its definition so you have a clear understanding of its meaning: inference, mood, juxtapose

Reading

1. Read about Jack London.
2. Read about The Call of the Wild.
3. Read about themes and symbols.
4. Outside Reading Assignment: For this week, read Chapters 8-16 of The Red Badge of Courage. Complete pages 9-12 of your The Red Badge of Courage Study Guide. You should expect to be done this assignment by Day 55. Day 55’s Reading portion of your class will go over this assignment. (When assignments tell you to discuss in your small group, instead discuss the issues with a parent or other adult in your household.)

Writing

1. Your Rhetorical Analysis Essay should identify the author/speaker’s strongest use of rhetorical strategies as you discuss each section. Use specific examples from the text in proper format. You do not have to try to include every strategy the author/speaker uses. Simply choose the strongest ones, the ones that are most effective.
2. Read about Setting in The Rhetorical Situation.

Lesson 52

Reading

1. Read over the description of Naturalism. Write down the themes found on the Naturalism link. (These are Charles Child Walcutt’s common themes of naturalism as noted in his American Literary Naturalism: A Divided Stream.)
2. Read “To Build A Fire.”
3. Take notes of 1 or 2 examples of where you see some of the the common themes of naturalism in the story. An example of nature being indifferent could be the passage that states, “It did not lead him to meditate upon his frailty as a creature of temperature, and upon man’s frailty in general.”
4. Can you think of ways in which the protagonist could have changed the course of events?
5. How does the way the author describes the dog’s reactions create a feeling of suspense for the reader?

Writing

1. To keep your paper as analysis rather than summary, be sure to use strong verbs when discussing the writer’s rhetorical choices. Some verbs are considered weak as their use is often for a summary. Weak verbs could include: says, relates, goes on to say, tells, this quote shows, explains, states, and shows.
2. Stronger verbs useful for analysis may include: implies, trivializes, qualifies, describes, suggests, dismisses, analyzes, questions, compares, vilifies, praises, supports, contrasts, emphasizes, establishes, admonishes, argues, defines, ridicules, minimizes, etc.
3. When looking for a strong verb to use, think of what would be a stronger alternative for the word “shows”.
4. Read Example 1 in The Rhetorical Situation.

Lesson 53(*)

Vocabulary

1. Record these words and their definitions in your notes. Click on each term and summarize its definition so you have a clear understanding of its meaning: first-person; second-person; third-person. Read through the link to find each definition. Don’t forget to include the two types of third-person point of view.

Reading*

1. Read about Stephen Crane.
2. Read “Do not weep, maiden, for war is kind”.
3. How does Crane use irony to show that war is far from kind?
4. *Between today and tomorrow read all of The Open Boat. It is 7 chapters long. (Audio can be found here.)
5. For each of the chapters print off and complete the Student Activity Sheets to create a study guide for yourself. Click on the blue chapter titles to get to the student worksheets.

Writing

1. An important part of rhetorical analysis will include analyzing diction.
2. Look for the speaker’s use of specific words or phrases which may appear to be stronger than others. When the speaker chose a stronger alternative to a word instead of a simpler choice, you should pay attention to it.
3. Notice patterns (such as repetition) used by the writer. Does the pattern show emotion or emphasis?
4. The author should use words that are purposeful with a meaning that is the exact meaning intended. Words can have an effect on the reader, so they must be chosen carefully.
5. Read Example 2 in The Rhetorical Situation.

Lesson 54

Vocabulary

1. Record these words and their definitions in your notes. Click on each term and summarize its definition so you have a clear understanding of its meaning: stream of consciousness, pessimism, urbanization

Reading

1. Finish The Open Boat including any Student Activity Sheets for the remaining chapters. (Audio can be found here.)
2. Write a Response to Literature using your completed Student Activity Sheets to guide you. Review the instructions for Response to Literature assignments in the course description at the top of this page. Record your score out of 30 on the grading sheet using the rubric.

Writing

1. Diction will reflect the subject, purpose, occasion, and audience.
2. The subject, occasion, and audience will determine how detailed or how informal/formal the diction needs to be.
3. The writer’s purpose may be to inform, to persuade, or to entertain. This will influence the diction. If the purpose is to inform, then the diction may be more to the point. If the purpose is to entertain, there may be words used with irony or humorous ways.
4. Read Example 3 in The Rhetorical Situation.

Lesson 55

Vocabulary*

1. *Take Vocabulary Quiz #4. Grade it by using the answer key. Record your grade out of 21 not 22. This gives you a potential for extra credit.
2. Record these words and their definitions in your notes. Click on each term and summarize its definition so you have a clear understanding of its meaning: industrialization, detachment, syntax

Reading

1. Today you should be done Chapters 8-16 of The Red Badge of Courage as well as pages 9-12 of the study guide.
2. Go over your completed study guide papers with your parent/guardian.

Writing

1. An important part of rhetorical analysis will include analyzing syntax.
2. Review the definition of syntax.
3. Sentence length is one part of syntax. It is important to vary your sentence length. A shorter sentence can show that the message is very straightforward. A longer sentence can be more detailed and descriptive.
4. Read Sentence Variety: Strategies for Variation.
5. Sentence type is another aspect of syntax.
6. Read Sentence Variety: Sentence Types.
7. A third aspect of syntax is punctuation. Again a variety of punctuation is used in good writing.
8. A colon (:) can direct the reader to a focal point of the sentence. It shows the reader that something following the colon is important.
9. A semi-colon (;) can show the reader that both of the two independent clauses have equal importance or it can emphasize parallel ideas.
10. A dash (-) can show a quick change in thought or tone. It could also be used to give a brief summary.
11. Read Conclusion in The Rhetorical Situation.

Lesson 56

Vocabulary

1. Record these words and their definitions in your notes. Click on each term and summarize its definition so you have a clear understanding of its meaning: pragmatism, apathy

Reading

1. Over the next few days we are going to be looking at some letters and speeches from the Native American experience and the fight for equality taking place after the Civil War.
2. Read about Cochise.
3. Read “I am alone (I am the last of my family.)“
4. What is the main idea of this speech? (answer: The small number of remaining Apaches deserve an area of land where they can live peacefully alongside the white men. The Apaches have had their tribesmen destroyed by the Americans and the Apaches are descendants of the original inhabitants of this land. In order to preserve their people, they need this chance.)
5. How was the relationship between the Americans and the Apaches initially? (answer: There was a friendship and peace between them in the same land.)
6. What happened to the relationship?(answer: The passage says that the Americans caused “a very great wrong”. )
7. Chief Joseph was a Nez Perce chief who led an effort to escape white settlement.
8. Read The Surrender of Chief Joseph (I Will Fight No More Forever).
9. What seems to be Chief Joseph’s reason for not wanting to fight? (answer: the futility of fighting and the suffering of his people)
10. What tone does this speech have? (answer: sad, but dignified)
11. Outside Reading Assignment:For this week, read Chapters 17-24 of The Red Badge of Courage. Complete pages 13-17 of your The Red Badge of Courage Study Guide. You should expect to be done this assignment by Day 60. Day 60’s Reading portion of your class will go over this assignment. (When assignments tell you to discuss in your small group, instead discuss the issues with a parent or other adult in your household.)

Writing

1. Another important part of rhetorical analysis will include analyzing tone.
2. Review the definition of tone.
3. Tone is created by the writer’s use of other rhetorical strategies (diction, tropes, syntax, schemes, details).
4. How does the author’s use of words, imagery, or details reveal the author’s attitude toward an event or the topic in the essay/speech?
5. What words best describe the author’s attitude toward this subject or event?

Reminder: Your Rhetorical Analysis Essay is due on Day 61.