Summer Schedule 2013

I hope you've had a good first week of summer. It's time now to take a look at our summer work.

SUMMER MEETINGS
We will meet on three Wednesdays this summer.
On Tuesday, July 9* we will meet to share our responses to All Souls by Michael Patrick MacDonald.
On Tuesday, July 30 we will meet to share our responses to Nickel and Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich.
On Tuesday, August 20 we will meet to share our responses to Present Shock by Douglas Rushkoff.

The times of our meetings will depend upon the summer school schedule at Gloucester High School. I will send an email on Monday (7/1) about the times. (If GHS offers one summer school English class we'll begin our work at ten am. If GHS offers two summer school English classes we'll begin our work at noon pm. Each session will run for about three hours. We'll eat, work in groups, talk to each other, watch and listen to media on new Chrome books. The time will fly by.)

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WHAT TO DO WHILE YOU'RE READING ALL SOULS BY MICHAEL PATRICK MACDONALD
While reading All Souls make note of the following:

·         the writing style MacDonald uses (consider how he creates intimacy and a sense of trust with word choice, sentence structure, tone),

·         the narrative structure MacDonald uses (consider how he begins and ends the book, consider how he organizes events into chapters, consider how he introduces stories within the larger story and builds to climaxes),

·         the way he characterizes people (by describing their actions and their physical appearance, by including their own words, by describing how others react to them, by comparing and contrasting people’s behavior, by showing changes over time, etc.),

·         and the way he characterizes places (particularly South Boston).

Overall how do MacDonald's choices contribute to the purpose, meaning, and effect of the book?

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WHAT TO DO AFTER YOU FINISH READING ALL SOULS AND BEFORE COMING TO THE HIGH SCHOOL ON JUNE 9*.

Respond to two of the following rhetorical analysis prompts.

Option #1: Writing Style

Find three passages in the book (one from the beginning, one from the middle, and one from the end) that exemplify Michael Patrick MacDonald's writing style (word choice, sentence structure, tone). Analyze how the style of language MacDonald uses in the three passages has an effect on the reader that contributes to the purpose of the book as a whole.

Option #2: Narrative Structure

Find three passages in the book (one from the beginning, one from the middle, and one from the end) that show how MacDonald arranges events in a particular way so that the events have a particular effect on the reader.

Option #3: Characterization of a Person

Find three passages in the book (one from the beginning, one from the middle, and one from the end) in which MacDonald characterizes a particular person (Ma, a brother, a grandparent, someone else). Analyze exactly how MacDonald characterizes the person in the passages and analyze how the characterization of the person contributes to the book as a whole.

Option #4: Characterization of a Place

Find three passages in the book (one from the beginning, one from the middle, and one from the end) in which MacDonald characterizes Southie. Analyze exactly how MacDonald characterizes Southie in the passages and how the characterization of Southie contributes to the book as a whole.

Arrange your responses with the quotations and page numbers of the quotations on the left side of the paper and with your analysis on the right side. Each analysis should be between 150 and 300 words.

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Then, respond to this argument prompt.

In All Souls Michael Patrick MacDonald explores the ways that pride both strengthens Southie and undermines its strength. In a short essay (approximately 500 words) explore the extent to which pride has a similar effect on Gloucester today. In the essay show that you understand what MacDonald suggests about pride’s effect on Southie and then apply that understanding to your experiences and observations of life in Gloucester.

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Set your responses up like this:

Your name

My name

Class

Date

Three Responses to All Souls by Michael Patrick MacDonald

(1) Copy the rhetorical analysis prompt you are responding to here.

Put the three passages you are responding to in here. Make sure you include the page numbers.

Write your (150-300 word) response here.

(2) Copy the second rhetorical analysis prompt you are responding to here.

Put the three passages you are responding to in here. Make sure you include the page numbers.

Write your (150-300 word) response here.

(3) Copy the argument prompt here: In All Souls Michael Patrick MacDonald explores the ways that pride both strengthens Southie and undermines its strength. In a short essay (approximately 500 words) explore the extent to which pride has a similar effect on Gloucester today. In the essay show that you understand what MacDonald suggests about pride’s effect on Southie and then apply that understanding to your experiences and observations of life in Gloucester.

Then write your argument essay here.

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*If you cannot attend the session you must (1) send an email to Mr. James Cook with the reason you cannot attend, (2)  turn in your passage responses through email, and (3) read the description of the session posted on the blog (apenglangghs2015.blogspot.com) and write a response in the comment box.