Tuesday, April 22
• Journal
• Grammar
• Emily Dickinson poem
• Chinese history. Foot-binding. Pretend you are a reporter visiting a culture in which women dominate the men. Men are
supposed to be submissive to their wives, etc. Give a name to your culture and describe a cultural practice that discriminates
against men. Include quotes of men that you have interviewed. Include headline and byline. (40 pts)
• Boys must wear pink ribbon – cultural practice of the classroom, and must obey female students’ commands as long as they don’t
contradict class rules. Boys do a diary entry rather than article. Name and origin of the cultural practice. What the cultural
practice means. How it affects daily life. How you feel about it.
Friday, April 24
• Journal
• (phrase as nouns and pronouns, make transparency) Writing for Change lesson 1.1; gendered phrases. Students write down
observations. Discuss list in reverse order. How do your impressions change when the order of words changes? What is implied
by the placement of male-gendered nouns and pronouns in the first position?
• Chinese zodiac
• Amy Tan article. Theme of JLC is language. Work in pairs, hand in one ditto per pair. Discuss article.
Monday, April 28
• Journal
• Skits – action w/translator (preferably 3-4 students per group, students may self-choose but groups will be assigned from now on)
Tuesday, April 29
• “Who is” poem
• introduce book. reading HW, daily quiz.
• mother/daughter exercise. one of your quizzes will require you to know who is who’s mother/daughter. Say “Suyuan Woo’s
daughter” and student must respond in time to get participation point. First open-book, then closed-book.
• Vocab (sentence w/each word, 20 pts. EC of 10 points: use these words to create a story)
bloated (adj, 10): swelled up
sulk (v, 13): to be silent or moody
wispy (adj, 14): thin, delicate, soft
nondescript (adj, 15): plain, lacking distinctive qualities or characteristics
translucent (adj, 21): see-through, lets through light but blurs images
cultivate (v, 27): to improve and prepare, to promote the growth of, to refine by education
pretense (n, 28): the act of pretending, a false appearance intended to deceive
blurt (v, 29): to speak abruptly
reclaim (v, 29): to take back
• for notetaking, set aside four sheets of paper. mother on front side, daughter on back side. text (facts) in left column,
interpretation (inferences) on right column.
• read beginning together. foreshadowing. symbolism.
Monday, May 5
journal
JLC quiz 16-32 (20 pts)
What happened when An-Mei visited her relatives in China?
How do the aunties surprise Jing-Mei Woo at the end of the Joy Luck Club meeting?
new vocab words for “Scar” and “Red Candle”; vocab sentences due Friday (20 pts)
dowry (n, 35): money and goods that a woman brings to her husband in marriage
insolent (adj, 36): rude, disrespectful
mute (adj, 37): silent, not speaking
shrill (adj, 38): harsh-sounding, high-pitched
concubine (n, 39): a socially recognized or acceptable mistress
betrothed (adj, 44): engaged
scurry (v, 53): to scamper or move briskly, to flurry about
deficient (adj, 59): lacking, inadequate, insufficient
writhing (adj, 60): to twist in pain, struggle, or embarrassment
HW: due tomorrow is the first half of “Scar”
JLC discussion: 16-32
application to the Joy Luck Club (write this stuff down! not going to tell you again. remember its mission – to take the mind off
suffering in life. you must have a mission statement for your club at the top. what kind of people do you want? what would the
joy luck club do? what game? what kind of food? what kind of things go on an application form? must include some short-
answer questions, like “Why do you want to join the Joy Luck Club”? etc.) (25 pts)
Tuesday, May 6
quiz on first half of “Scar”; when you finish, you may begin silent reading (20 pts)
Why did Popo tell An-Mei scary stories?
Describe An-Mei’s relationship with her father.
How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood? (1 pt)
HW: return applications. 2 copies of typed and formatted applications are due on Thursday, May 8
JLC discussion: first half of “Scar”
write a story that you could use to scare children away from doing bad things. (p.34; greed, refusing to listen) (15 pts). share
these stories.
grammar: colons
Wednesday, May 7
journal
quiz on 2nd half of Scar (15 pts)
Describe the scars in “Scar.” How did the characters acquire them?
JLC discussion: second half of “Scar”
poetry: Maya Angelou’s “Still I Rise”. you may work on discussion questions with a partner. Answer any THREE questions in
paragraph form.
1. How could you tell that the speaker is an African-American woman? Be sure to use stanzas 1, 8, and 9 to answer this question.
2. List the similes to which the poet compares herself. Why do you think she uses these similes?
3. To whom is the poet speaking?
4. Note the last two lines of stanzas 2, 5, and 7. What do the last two lines of each of these stanzas have in common? Why do you
think the poet uses that particular imagery?
grammar: dashes
Monday, May 12
journal
vocab (from “The Moon Lady” and “Rules of the Game”) (10 vocab sentences due Friday – 20 pts)
pungent (adj, 65): strong in taste or smell, biting and sharp
decipher (v, 68): to decode or interpret
rickshaw (n, 72): a small two-wheeled cart for a passenger, pulled by one person
warily (adv, 74): cautiously
sullen (adj, 75): resentfully silent, gloomy
apparition (n, 76): a ghostly figure, a sudden or unusual sight
remorse (adj, 76): bitter and guilty regret, moral anguish due to regret over some wrongdoing
penance (n, 80): an action that shows sorrow and remorse for a wrongdoing (often includes self-punishment)
lament (v, 80): to mourn, to express grief
adversary (n, 95): an enemy or opponent
JLC discussion: “The Red Candle”
my desires + someone else’s desires = compromise. as classwork, students draw three of these organizers. (20 pts)
Tuesday, May 13
quiz on “The Moon Lady” (30 pts) /SSR/journal check! (50 pts)
Using several specific examples from the text, explain how you know that Ying-Ying St. Clair was disobedient as a child.
Describe Ying-Ying’s relationship with Amah.
Who is the mythical Moon Lady? How did she end up on the moon?
community
introduce Leadership class’ “popular” and “unpopular” kids
define the word, “normal”
“Much Madness is Divinest Sense”
how are you “normal”, how are you unique?
Wednesday, May 14
Journal
group presentations: groups read chapters and hand in notes by end of class (have teacher initial rubrics when work is done)
Thursday, May 15
quiz on “Rules of the Game” (30 pts)/SSR
What is “the art of invisible strength”? How does Waverly and her mother use it?
Why is Waverly’s mother proud of her?
Why does Waverly get angry at her mother?
group presentations: groups prepare skit
JLC discussion: Moon Lady
Friday, May 16
journal
group presentations: groups prepare skit and turn in script by end of class
JLC discussion: “Rules of the Game”
Monday, May 19
Voice in the Wall discussion questions
1. How did Lena become paranoid?
2. How do you know that Lena’s mother and father have trouble communicating? Use examples.
3. What are the “voices coming from the wall”? How do they inspire Lena’s imagination?
4. Compare and contrast the young Ying-Ying St. Clair portrayed in “The Moon Lady” with the older Ying-Ying St. Clair
portrayed in “the Voice from the Wall.”
5. What do you think the “wall” in the story represents?
grammar packet
Tuesday, May 20
SSR/one-question quiz on Half and Half
new reading pace: cancel one JLC tests – all incorporated into final exam. some chapters will be read in class.
group presentations: groups prepare discussion questions
JLC discussion: Voice from the Wall
“Rice Husband” due by Thursday
Wednesday, May 21
Journal
group presentations: preparation time and presentations begin
table graffiti
JLC discussion: Half and Half
“Two Kinds” discussion questions in class
Thursday, May 22
SSR / one-question “Rice Husband” quiz
group presentations: presentations continue
JLC discussion: Two Kinds and Rice Husband
Community
True uniqueness – piercing story
bullying intro
bullying article. group work and jigsaw: what was the right thing to do? from several points of view. why is it hard to get
along with people who are different? how can exploring someone else’s perspective be helpful in resolving conflicts?
independent work: write about a time when you were discriminated against (not necessarily race)
• strength acknowledgements
• cover letter
• Mr. Tossman’s EWAs
• Richard Conell’s short story, “The Most Dangerous Game”
• Rose’s short stories
• Spoonful of oil from The Alchemist
• Phlegm poem (unconventional symbol)? Fast Food Nation?
Whereas the major problem for the older generation had been the struggle against fate, the younger generation perceives their essential
difficulty to involve the making of choices. (similarity to Jasmine)
final project:
http://school.discovery.com/lessonplans/activities/books-art/view.html