Thursday, 30 January

Class began with studying a review of the Portland restaurant "Tasty & Sons." Students were asked to decide if they would like to eat there based on the review. Students marked sections of the review that made them want to eat at Tasty & Sons with a smiley face, and parts of the review that made them not want to eat there with an X.

Next students were given a Restaurant Review Rubric. They matched the information described as required for a good review with their personal reasons for going out to eat.

Next students read a review of Pok Pok NY and compared this professional review with the rubric.

Finally students began comparing the review "Hidden in a Nook"; analysis of this review is due on Monday.

Tuesday, 28 January

Besides learning what the agenda for the first three weeks of the term are (see previous post); the class worked on developing ideas for thesis research topics.

Then the class did work thinking about the various reasons each of us and people in general go out to eat in restaurants.

Intro to the Beginning of Third Quarter

January 28 & 30, and February 3rd will be studying the restaurant review. A completed restaurant review will be due on February 13th.

On February 4 & 6, Mr. Zartler will be introducing the research paper / thesis.

The following week: February 10,11, & 13 juniors and some seniors will be doing the OAKS Writing assessment. When finished, or if not taking the test, research time for the thesis will be provided.

Tuesday, 21 January

Today work was returned and grade print outs were shared. If any summative assessment is missing or incomplete, then the student can not pass for the semester. Work can still be made up and turned in.

The class worked on studying for tomorrow's in-class, open-book, open-note final exam by reviewing the following:

Food and Heat (Physical and Passionate) are key themes in Like Water for Chocolate.

List three topics you think that I am most likely to ask you to write about:

Choose up to three quotes that you think are most likely to be either asked about by the exam or used as evidence by you. (Why?)

Besides Food and Heat what symbols, events, or quotes do you find most significant, why?

And

The proper way to embed a quote: Intro the quote; quote the quote; cite the quote; explain the quote!

Thursday, 16 January

Class began by completing the timeline of events in Like Water for Chocolate.

Then class discussed in a variety of ways the following topics:

Why was "I hate you" the "magic word?

Why is who is getting married so confusing in the month of December?

What is the relationship between Tita and the narrator?

How are food and fire related to one another in understanding the book?

We will prepare for the in-class, open-book essay final exam in class on Tuesday of next week.

Monday, 13 January and Tuesday/ Wednesday 14/15 January

This week various classes moved through various parts of studying videos, taking notes in mini-lectures, and discussing several key events.

We studied the Great Railroad Strike of 1877 which helped increase membership in unions.

We studied the controversy between the Gold Standard and Greenbacks.

We watched several videos and discussed the Haymarket Riots of 1886.

Haymarket riot video

http://video.pbs.org/video/1907816603/ 10 mins

And a different perspective with more focus on labor and civil rights

1) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_OQxncb2ihQ&safe=active

2) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CkZET09x5_Q&safe=active

3) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GaUFPCMnChk&safe=active

18-19 minutes total

Some classes had time to analyze a graph on page 185 of History Alive! examining the relationship between hours worked and wages between 1890 and 1915.

Most classes also studied the "Pullman Strikes."

The final exam for this class will cover the history of labor and industry in the US from european settlement to WWI (including vocabulary).

Tuesday, 14 January

In class we reviewed embedding quotes. This is a vital skill for completing the final exam that will be an open note, open book in-class essay on Like Water for Chocolate.

We divided the novel into parts and worked to create a time line of events that are crucial to the plot.

The rest of the novel should be read by Thursday.

Monday, 13 January

Students should have read through "July" in Like Water for Chocolate.

The quiz for todays reading was:

The following quote is on page 115. Write a paragraph that explains as fully as you can, using other quotes and examples from the novel how this quote relates to the rest first seven months (January – July) of the novel. Pay particular attention to the phrase, “we can’t strike them all by ourselves.” Please use your notes and the novel. You will have thirty (30) minutes.

         “As you see, within our bodies each of us has the elements needed to produce phosphorus. And let me tell you something I’ve never told a soul. My grandmother had a very interesting theory; she said that each of us is born with a box of matches inside us but we can’t strike them all by ourselves; just as in the experiment we need oxygen and a candle to help.”

After finishing the quiz, class had a brief discussion about about bandits being the death of Mama Elena, the rape of Chencha, and how Gertrudis fared after running away with the rebel.

Thursday, 9 January.

The class worked in small groups to analyze April, May, and June.

Here is an example of what was discovered.

Tuesday, 7 January

Class began with a quiz. Anyone who missed class or who did not pass the quiz will need to attend tutorial on the 14th in order to complete a make up activity.

Class focused on sharing notes about heat and fire in the chapters February and March.

The class also searched for elements of magic and miraculous happenings (and recorded notes) for February and March.

We considered the element of blood that died the roses for the Quail in Rose petal sauce.

Students had some time to read.

May and June are due for next class.

Monday, 6 January

Today's class was devoted to returning PSAT scores.

The counseling office presented information on PSATs, SATs, ACTs, and lots of information about applying to colleges.

Monday, 6 January

One major activity in class was to begin creating a chart in which to log the various instances where heat and fire play a significant role in the story.

The class also began a chart for each month (chapter). The chart lists the foods that play a role in that chapter, the most obviously significant symbols in that month's section, and any themes that are revealed. For example

January

Food:

Christmas Rolls

Onions

sausage

chile

salt

Symbols:

crying

heat 

birth

Themes:

love

sadness

mother v. daughter

passion

The class also took time to consider what questions might be asked in a quiz on the first months of the book.

Thursday 19 December

The first part of class was spent identifying key ideas revealed in the first chapter "January."

Aphorism: To the table or to bed, you must come when you are bid.

January: Christmas rolls
crying, crying, crying
Onions, salty, birth

"Tita didn't distinguish between tears of laughter and tears of sorrow. For her laughing was a from of crying (7).

"Smells have the power to evoke the past" (9).

We also developed the following Venn Diagram comparing the three sisters: