sick days

There are some days when it's not worth it to get out of bed. And there are some days when you just can't. That was me the last two days; sorry I missed you guys. It was not much fun.

Anyway, I'm back, and today went reasonably well. A couple of announcements before we get going:

1. Ellen Hopkins is coming tomorrow. She will be here 8th Period. If you wish to hear her, sign up in the library.
2. I'm still missing a couple of permission slips. Where are they?
3. Both E3H and E2H will have paperback texts to purchase next week. You'll need maybe $20 for two books. I'll know the exact amounts when they come in.

OK, back to your previously scheduled blog message:

In CW today, we discussed POV as it relates to developing character. We briefly touched on setting as well, and left with the assignment to write to someone you know very well, past or present, fictional or real, and tell him or her "I love you"...and mean it.

In E3H today, we discussed the poems in Ch 5 and the various kinds of metaphors. For HW, read Ch 6 on symbol and allegory, paying attention to the following poems especially: "The Road not Taken," "A Noiseless, Patient Spider," "To the Virgins, To Make Much of Time," "Curiosity," and "The Writer."

In E2H today, we had excellent discussions (again!) about Thoreau. These will continue tomorrow, when we will also take a look back at the quotes we started with a few weeks ago.

Over the weekend...

Here are a couple of links to discussions of what Transcendentalism is:

http://www.transcendentalists.com/what.htm
http://www.vcu.edu/engweb/transcendentalism/ideas/tr-aldef.html

and one link to just about everything transcendental:

http://www.vcu.edu/engweb/transcendentalism.

And as a refresher (and a simple list), here are some of the most important ideas found in Transcendentalism:

· Oversoul

· Importance of Nature

· Self-confidence

· Non-conformity

· Self-reliance

· Free thought

· Simplicity

· Getting the most from life

· Society’s effect on the individual

· Importance of dreaming big

OK. First of all, and this is important, you don't need to read all of the pages listed above. Just visit them and skim through them until you feel comfortable moving on to the following:

In an essay of between 600-800 words, discuss the importance of or influence of Transcendentalism in modern society. In your essay, you must:

• quote from at least one of the web pages listed above,
• quote directly from both Emerson and Thoreau, and
• cite examples of transcendental thought in modern culture or society.

The first draft of this essay will be due on Monday. For this essay we are going to try something new, for those who wish to participate:

We're going to try some online editing and review, but in order to do so we need to set up some access. If you want to be involved, this is what to do:

• Go to google.com and open a google account
• Compose your paper on googledocs (google documents)
• Send it to me by "sharing" it with me (use e2h@sunspark.com)
  
• Make sure that "to edit" is checked in the share box

Otherwise, simply e-mail it to me as usual. Either way is fine; no worries. Note that this draft is not the final graded essay, but it must be a completed draft.


J: bugs Music: Scorpion--Lucy Kaplansky






Today's Missed Conferences:Cole B, Sarah B, Andy W

Tomorrow's Conferences: (check schedule for times) Emma F, Jeffrey N, Laura C, Katie M, Emma N, Neil P, Stephanie C, Max B, Alex M