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.