English block C: Hills Like White Elephants

 Here's the link for hills like white elephants!

English 11 D block: Paul's Case

 Here's Paul's Case! See you tomorrow!

Short Story Presentations

Greetings grade 11s! Here's our planned order for presentations. The schedule assumes each presentation only takes a day. If they need more time, the schedule will adjust accordingly. You must read the story during your own time so that you can meaningfully participate in the discussion the next day. You only earn participation marks for responses that show your knowledge of the story and its themes. Check the "TEXTS" section for links to the stories (I will continue to update it with working pdfs). Please see me if you may not be attending that day for an excused reason:

Block C
Starting September 23: The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas

Then... 

September 24: Greenleaf

September 25: Hills Like White Elephants

September 26: Paul's Case

September 29: The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

October 1: The Most Dangerous Game

October 2: The Rocking-Horse Winner

Block D

Starting September 23: The Guest

Then...

September 24: Greenleaf

September 25: Paul's Case

September 26: The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas

September 29: The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

(there's a group with no story assignment here)

October 1: The Most Dangerous Game

October 2: The Rocking-Horse Winner

October 3: (which story are you doing?)

The Lottery: Essay Topics

1. Symbolism of the Black Box:

Discuss how the black box functions as a symbol in Shirley Jackson’s The Lottery. How does its physical description and role in the ritual reflect the themes of decay, resistance to change, and the persistence of outdated traditions?

2. The Role of Community and Conformity:
Analyze the role of conformity (prioritizing fitting in and following rules over other values) in the villagers’ participation in the lottery. How does Jackson portray the tension between individual morality and community expectations?

To thrive in either of these topics, you must answer the question and explain why it's important. In topic one - if you were to find good examples that reflect the topic, perhaps in the conclusion or at the end of your body paragraph you might discuss why it is in our nature to persist in outdated traditions. In topic two - you might speculate why we prioritize the community over ourselves, why we value "fitting in" so much, that we may cross moral boundaries in order to do so.

Phone Ban Article

1.  As a student, what ideas do you have about dealing with the phone "problem in high school"?
2. What are the different ways that school districts have banned phones? Are they fully banned everywhere?
3. How do parents feel about this phone ban? What about teachers?
4. What has Gazmararian noticed about the changes in schools after the phone ban?