Mr. Verlin South Philadelphia High School September 15, 2014

Preliminaries  Imagine you are living long ago. There is no electricity. Your world is lit only by fire and the sun. The forest surrounding your village is a dangerous place. You have no guns, but you have knives and occasional arrows. Wild animals and dangerous people live there. You never leave. If you did you could never get back. Your village has no name and there are no maps. You are known by your first name and your job—Jorge the carpenter, Lily the baker. Suddenly one day, a man rides in on a horse, and says he is your king. He needs you. You must go with him. Describe your life before this event, your journey, your fears, and what you do (20 classwork pts).  Share (BONUS)

Objectives:  The students will be able to define the characteristics of their reputation.  The students will be able to identify and apply strategies which will help them read across the curriculum.  Students will be able to take brief and effective notes from a textbook excerpt.  Students will be able to pre-write a short essay.

Focus Lesson: Stories  Divide into pairs and open Elements to pp. 618–619.  Read and take 3 QNTs or 3 bullet notes.  Using the headers and bold text to guide their outline divisions.  End with the second to the last paragraph. (Do not read the paragraph starting with “In this chapter you will read…”).

Focus Lesson: Writing Prompt  Every culture, every tribe, every group of people has stories they tell that define who they are as a people. Beyond simply being funny or interesting, why do you think people relay stories and not just lists or facts?” (If students need further help, add: “We have a constitution and many laws in this country, but no one walks around talking about them the way that they talk about loving The Outsiders or the old myth that George Washington chopped down a cherry tree. What is it about stories that is so compelling to humans?”) 10 assessment pts.

Homework  Read “Anansi Owns All Tales That Are Told,” in Holt World Literature, pp. 3–6.  Answer the homework questions in their QNTs or on the handout.  Due 9/18 for 10 homework points.