First period completed their debates. One student volunteered to tally the votes and see whom the class chose as the best debaters.

Second period worked a little more on Great Expectations before watching a PBS version of the film. We watched the scene in which Pip first meets Miss Havisham, and we compared our own visions (sketched out beforehand) with the film’s director’s.

Fourth and sixth periods continued working on their Charlie reports. Most of them should be done.

After school, everyone was eager to get out — well, almost everyone.

Two first-period students, trying to set a new fashion trend

Homework

Second period: read through chapter 20.

Second period began a small series of lessons on foreshadowing. It’s intended to help students see how authors in general and Dickens in particular use foreshadowing; additionally, students will be learning how to identify clues that could be foreshadowing.

First, fourth, and sixth periods continued their debates. Sixth period finished; fourth period lacks two debates and will conclude after spring break; first period will conclude tomorrow.

Homework

Second period:

• read chapters 12 and 13;
• work on themes database (you must have an account to access this resource).

First, fourth, and sixth periods began their debates. We just barely got started in first period; fourth and sixth periods made a fair amount of progress. Sixth period, in fact, will most definitely finish tomorrow; fourth period might have to pick it back up after spring break.

Second period discussed the surprises of chapters 8-10 in Great Expectations. The most significant:

All this while, the strange man looked at nobody but me, and looked at me as if he were determined to have a shot at me at last, and bring me down. But he said nothing after offering his Blue Blazes observation, until the glasses of rum-and-water were brought; and then he made his shot, and a most extraordinary shot it was.

It was not a verbal remark, but a proceeding in dump show, and was pointedly addressed to me. He stirred his rum-and-water pointedly at me, and he tasted his rum-and-water pointedly at me. And he stirred it and he tasted it: not with a spoon that was brought to him, but with a file.

He did this so that nobody but I saw the file; and when he had done it he wiped the file and put it in a breast-pocket. I knew it to be Joe’s file, and I knew that he knew my convict, the moment I saw the instrument. I sat gazing at him, spell-bound. But he now reclined on his settle, taking very little notice of me, and talking principally about turnips. (The Free Online Library)

Many more surprises to come, of course.

Homework

• First, fourth, and sixth: complete debate preparation as necessary.
• Second period:
  • read chapters 11 and 12;
  • work on theme database (using notes from class and readings).

Miss Havisham, in art by Harry Furniss

Second period  went over chapter seven in groups, discussing the themes we’ll be tracing throughout the book. We also began a list of characters, as Dickens’ novels can be a bit on the character-rich side.

We also read aloud the opening of chapter eight, in which Miss Havisham is introduced. “She’s crazy” seemed to be the general consensus.

First, fourth, and sixth periods continued working on their debate preparation. All three periods will begin their debates tomorrow.

Homework

• First, fourth, and sixth periods:
• complete both outlines of the debate presentation using the Debate Graphic Organizer;
• complete both speeches (using the outlines to guide you).
• Second period:
  • complete chapters eight through ten;
  • be prepared to discuss the question: “Is Miss Havisham proud of her broken heart?”;
  • check for a term that means “one who is proud of his/her pain/wounds.”

First, fourth, and sixth periods are taking breaks from their Publish projects. First period, in fact, will be spending no more class time on projects; fourth and sixth will have one more day in the library.

First, fourth, and sixth periods are working on debate preparations. We’re doing a very quick unit on persuasive speaking this week, and students will be debating each other on selected topics. Today, first period began preparations by choosing topics, finding a partner, and filling out a debate graphic organizer.

Second period began teasing out the difficult Great Expectations. It’s like weight-lifting, I told them: you don’t develop any if you never push yourself. This is like putting extra weight on the bar, I explained.

Regarding the Antigone/Lord of the Flies project, I extended the due date to this Friday. I won’t be assessing any of them until spring break, so I gave them the extra time.

Homework

• First and fourth periods: complete the debate graphic organizer.
• Second period: read chapters six and seven.
• Sixth period: none.