High School Writing: Readings for Monday

Greetings, high schoolers!

Here are the four articles I want you to print out, read, and  bring to class on Tuesday. Print all four out before you read  them and mark them up as you did the "Plants Respond to Music" article a  few weeks ago. (Underline or highlight what you find interesting, put  check marks next to information you agree with, etc.) Class on  Tuesday depends upon you bringing these articles, so don't forget them!

Since most home schoolers seem to be relatively interested in Tolkien, I thought you might  like some articles about Tolkien's writing. I'm not overly impressed  with Crystal McNeal's writing style, but she does share some good  information. Without further ado, here are the articles:

1.  National Geographic article on Tolkien's languages

2.  Crystal McNeal, "Tolkien's Use of Language to Highlight Good  Characters"

3.  Crystal McNeal, "Tolkien's Use of Language to Emphasize Evil"

4. "Tolkien  and Language"

Enjoy!

~Mrs. Stewart

American Literature: Black Veils and Scarlet Letters

Hello, American Lit students! I hope that the mock trial went swimmingly and that James Fenimore Cooper received mercy/justice at your capable hands.

For this week, we have another selection from Nathaniel Hawthorne's Twice-Told Tales to accompany our reading of The Scarlet Letter. Enjoy this very interesting short story!

"The Minister's Black Veil" by Nathaniel Hawthorne

Please remember to print out the story and bring it to class with you next Tuesday. If you still have it around, it might be helpful to bring "The Birth-Mark," as well.

Have a great week!

~Mrs. Stewart

American Literature: Great Short Stories

Greetings, American Literature students!

I hope you enjoy this poem and these short stories from two masters of the art. Please do remember to print them out and bring them with you to class.

"The Raven" by Edgar Allan Poe
"The Tell-Tale Heart" by Edgar Allan Poe
"The Birth-Mark" by Nathaniel Hawthorne

Okay, now put your symbol-hats on and READ! :-)

~Mrs. Stewart

American Literature: The Rise of the Short Story

Greetings, students!

Enjoy these excellent short stories by Washington Irving and Edgar Allan Poe. If you have not experienced either of these authors before, you are in for a treat! Please remember to print them out and bring them to class for discussion; this will affect your participation grade.

"The Wife" by Washington Irving
"The Widow and Her Son" by Washington Irving
"Rip Van Winkle" by Washington Irving
"The Fall of the House of Usher" by Edgar Allan Poe

Enjoy!

Mrs. Stewart

Welcome, Students!

Congratulations; you found the blog! Looking forward to our year together.

Girls' Literature: "Beauty and the Beast" fairy tale

Hello, ladies!

Please read the following story for class on Tuesday. Enjoy - I think you'll find the fairy tale different than the story we're used to.

"La Belle et la Bete" by Jeanne-Marie Le Prince de Beaumont

Please print the story out and bring it to class for discussion!

Middle School: Robert Frost Poems

Hello, all!

I hope you enjoy these poems. Please print them out and bring them to class next week for discussion.

"The Road Not Taken"

"Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening"

See you next Tuesday!

Middle School Reading: "The Most Dangerous Game"

Hello all,

I hope you enjoy reading our short story for this week. Here's the link:

"The Most Dangerous Game" by Richard Connell

Have fun - and remember to print the story out so that you can bring it to class! :-)

~Mrs. Stewart

Girls' Literature:"The Yellow Wallpaper"

Ladies,

Here is the link to the short story we're reading for next week.

"The Yellow Wallpaper" by Charlotte Perkins Gilman

Remember, your homework assignment for this week is as follows:

Make a list of ten adjectives you think are significant in the narrator's description of the wallpaper.  

For each adjective you list, answer the following questions: 

What connotations does the word have (positive or negative, pleasant or gross, beautiful or ugly)?  

What do we learn about the narrator from her choice of this word?

Enjoy!

Girls' Literature: "A New-England Nun"

Ladies,

Have a marvelous spring break! Here is the short story I'd like you to read over the next two weeks.

"A New-England Nun" by Mary Wilkins Freeman

Remember to print the story out so you can bring it to class!

When you're done reading, answer the following questions in 4-5 sentence paragraphs to turn in for homework.

1. What is your reaction to Louisa Ellis? Do you like her, hate her, or have mixed feelings? Why?
2. Do you think Louisa made the right decision concerning her marriage to Joe? Why or why not?
3. Continue Louisa's story. What happens to her in the next few weeks? In the next ten years? On her deathbed?

Girls' Literature: "Goblin Market" by Christina Rosetti

Ladies,

Here's your poem for this week:

"Goblin Market" by Christina Rosetti

I hope you enjoy this very interesting poem. Remember to print it out so that you can bring it to class!

~Mrs. Stewart

Middle School Reading: Shel Silverstein Poems

Middle Schoolers:

I hope you enjoy these poems this week! Remember to print them out and bring them to class next Tuesday!

"It's Dark in Here"

"One Inch Tall"

"Whatif"

Middle School Reading: "The Gift of the Magi"

Congratulations! You've found the home school blog!

Here is the link to the first short story of the semester: "The Gift of the Magi" by O. Henry. Remember to print out the story so that you can bring it to class!

"The Gift of the Magi"

Enjoy the story! I'll see you next Tuesday. :-)

~Mrs. Stewart