The last sentence in chapter nine reads:

Pause you who read this, and think for a moment of the long chain of iron or gold, of thorns or flowers, that would never have bound you, but for the formation of the first link on one memorable day.

Respond to this quotation.

• What is Pip referring to? 
• How has this day altered him?
• Consider this quotation as a turning point in Pip's character development. How is Pip different in chapters 10-16 in contrast with the first nine chapters? Discuss his changes. Are they positive or negative changes? How is your perception on this character altering as he changes? Be specific, include details from chapters 10-16.

• Think of a memorable day in your life that began your "chain." How can the formation of your character or the person you are now be traced back to one life-altering day?

Write two paragraphs.  The first paragraph should discuss Pip's character development and respond to the first three bullets above.  The second paragraph should relate the quotation to your own life.



Due Friday, March 4.

Great Expectations - Question about a Passage

While you read Great Expectations there are sure to be sentences, paragraphs, or sections of entire chapters that you don't quite understand due to complicated or confusing diction and syntax. Find a specific passage in this week's reading that you don't fully comprehend and ask a question to be answered by your classmates through comments. Cite the passage with chapter and page number and specifically state what about the passage you do not understand. Make sure your question is clear and include enough of the passage (directly and correctly quoted) so that your classmates can comment an appropriate answer in response.

Make sure that your question is clear and significant. It can either be literal (something that can be answered by deciphering the text) or interpretive (related to motive of author or character.) You will be evaluated on the depth and thought you put into the question - show that you do understand most of what you read by the type of question you pose. Your questions should cover something from this week's reading: chapters 26-35.

Post and comment a response on a classmate's blog, including an attempt to answer the question, by Saturday, February 26.

Group Essay Collaboration

Due Monday: 2 copies of your complete body paragraph. Work on the essay in the lab during class and turn in 2 complete copies of the entire essay at the end of class.


Before you begin your post, please keep in mind that you need to have the core of your paragraph (all concrete details and commentary) complete or nearly complete.


In Friday's class, body paragraphs were in varying stages in every group. Write your post focusing on what has changed or developed since your group members read your paragraph in class and how your group members can help you transition into their paragraphs (see the previous post on transitions between paragraphs.)

Post: 
1. What you haven't seen yet. Tell you group members what's new in your paragraph. Are you using a different concrete detail? If so, your group members need to know to avoid repetition. Did you change or add commentary? Explain the new commentary so your group members can make sure it ties in with the thesis.
2. Ask questions of your group members to get feedback in their comments. This could be anything ranging from asking for synonyms for words you're repeating, asking for ideas on how to write a topic sentence for your paragraph that ties into the thesis, asking for help on commentary, proofreading questions, etc. 

Comment: Read each of your group members’ posts and comment back to them. Your comment should include your critique what's new in their paragraph, respond to their questions, and give them ideas for their three-fold transition sentence. Give each member of your group an idea for how they can transition from or to your paragraph and refer subtly to the thesis without being overly repetitive. *The comments are each worth 10 points and need to be substantial and thoughtful.

The three-fold transition sentence is explained in detail with examples in the previous post.


Post and comment on each group members' blogs by Saturday, February 12.

Group Essay: Transitions Between Paragraphs

Once each group member has his/her body paragraph completed, you will need to start working on how to make the essay cohesive or flow smoothly from one paragraph to the next. Here is a helpful strategy:

Three-Fold Transition Sentence:

• Refers subtly to the idea discussed in the previous paragraph
• Refers briefly to the overall thesis idea
• Refers more specifically to any new ideas to be discussed in the next paragraph; for example:

Thesis: Throughout Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, Jane Eyre uses her dominant personality traits of passion, independence, and faith in God to make important decisions with confidence.

Transition Sentence #1

Jane's sometimes concealed but ardent passion defines many decisions in her life.

Transition Sentence #2

In addition to being passionate, Jane is a very independent person who insists on distinguishing her views from others in order to make intelligent decisions.

Transition Sentence #3

Over and above Jane's passion and independence, faith in God leads Jane along the right path, grants her the gift of unconditional love, and wisely influences her decisions.

(From The College Board's The AP Vertical Teams Guide for English.)

Part of your group essay grade is cohesion...work together to make sure your essay reads smoothly and enables the reader to get a clear idea of your overall message about the play.