MR. WALKER’S 8TH GRADE HONORS ENGLISHMarch 4, 2015

Lessons & Objectives

WARM-UP

Read the selection from Heidi and answer questions 1-4. You have ten minutes to complete the questions. We will grade them in class. This is for a grade. Be sure to use TQRAP and your other strategies to do your best.

WORD OF THE DAY

obtuseannoyingly insensitive or slow to understand

No one could tell if Maynard really didn’t know how to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, or was being OBTUSE.

LINES WE LOVE

“The human race, to which so many of my readers belong, has been playing at children's games from the beginning, and will probably do it till the end, which is a nuisance for the few people who grow up.” - G. K. Chesterton, The Napoleon of Notting Hill

ESSAY-A-WEEK CHALLENGEFor the next six weeks you will receive one essay prompt per week. The prompts will be either expository or personal narratives. At the end of the six weeks, the person with the highest score wins the challenge and a fabulous prize! (Well, not really, but you know. . .)

Prompt #1:

Read the following quotation.

“The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time you fall.”

—Nelson Mandela

Think carefully about the following question.

Can failure make you stronger?

Write an essay explaining whether failure can strengthen a person.

Be sure to clearly state your controlling idea (thesis), organize and develop your explanation effectively, choose your words carefully, and use correct spelling, grammar, punctuation, and capitalization. Use the techniques we’ve learned over the last few weeks.

OBJECTIVES FOR TODAY

Block 1

Finish reviewing correct answers from the Mock STAAR test. Understand why the correct answer was correct. Understand why the incorrect answer was not. Ask questions. Talk about it. Take notes while you’re reviewing!! Make sure you understand why you missed what you missed before you leave!

Block 2

Begin reading “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.” We will make inferences and draw conclusions about characters, setting, and theme. We will also make connections between portions of the text, as well as with other texts we’ve read, and with the outside world.

MOCK STAAR REVIEW

• Take notes• Ask questions• Understand why you missed the questions you missed• Think about strategies you could’ve used to answer

correctly• Make an assessment of where you are. Tell me:

What areas you need to improveWhat areas you’re most comfortable withWhat I can do to help you improve

SIR GAWAIN AND THE GREEN KNIGHTPart 1: Lines 1—249

Topic Tracking: FEAR

Sir Gawain presents an interesting twist on the archetype of chivalrous knightly culture and the associated notions of gallantry. This is the first scene in the poem having to do with the Knights of the Round Table, a scene that establishes their credibility. They are portrayed not as dashing defenders of right, but as quaking children scared of supposed witchcraft. This is right after the poet has built them up as the pinnacle of their profession.

SIR GAWAIN AND THE GREEN KNIGHTPart 1 Academic Vocabulary

1. Chivalry – the rules and customs of medieval knighthood; stressing the qualities of courtesy, generosity, valor, honesty, etc.

2. Medieval – of, pertaining to, characteristic of the middle ages; from around 500 – 1350 a.d.

3. Archetype -- the original pattern or model from which all things of the same kind are copied or on which they are based; a model or first form; prototype.

4. Credible – capable of being believed or believable

5. Pinnacle -- the highest or culminating point, as of success, power, fame, etc.

SIR GAWAIN AND THE GREEN KNIGHTPart 1: Questions to Consider

1. Why does the poem begin with the Trojan War, not with King Arthur or Sir Gawain?

2. What season of the year is it as the actual story begins? Why is that significant? What night is it when the main events of Part 1 take place (line 60)?

3. How old (more or less) are Arthur and his knights when the story takes place? How do you know?

4. Why won't Arthur eat his dinner yet?

5. What is the most unusual thing about the man who rides into the hall? In what interesting way does the author bring us that information? What is the man carrying in his hands (lines 206-208)? How does the man behave when he enters? Whom does he ask for? What initial response does he get?

TOMORROW WE WILL. . .

Review specific areas and skills which need improvement.

Continue reading “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight”

HOMEWORK

Finish reading SGATGK through line 249.

Work on your Night project and papers – due Thursday/Friday.