Washington Irving
We then tackled the story, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, where we began to dig into the literary element of the setting. We enjoyed the story and even noticed the cliffhanger that was left to us as readers. Washington Irving does not give a clear indication as to what happens to our protagonist, Ichabod Crane. We assume Brom Bones (inferences tell us he may possibly be the famous Headless Horseman) chased him away.
Miss Quiros
Flannery O’Connor
We moved onto Flannery O’Connor’s, A Good Man is Hard to Find. This story reminded us of a Chevy Chase vacation movie. A family goes on a vacation to find that they come in contact with a man who broke out of prison. This story was a perfect story to use with the literary element of Characterization. All characters were described in full detail and we were able to develop character sketches. Fun, Fun, Fun!
Miss Quiros
The Lottery
This month we began our journey into the world of short stories. In the Regents, we know that learning to dissect literature is vitally important, so we began with a short story by Shirley Jackson, The Lottery. This short story was no ordinary story; there were twists and turns and so many examples of figurative language that the students were shocked at how the story ended. Guess you will have to read it to find out!
Miss Quiros
Era of Choice
Students were given a variety of eras to research and to dissect a piece of literature from the particular era of choice. Students worked so hard on their research and were able to cover several periods of English Literature. They were able to gain an understanding about what was going on in that particular period and how literature reflects what goes on in that particular period.
Miss Quiros
Social Workers
Throughout the last few days of school, students became Social Workers where they studied the life of Stormie Omartian (Author of The Power of a Praying Wife and many more well known books). She has been through many trying times and was abused as a kid. Students pretended to be able to take action to help her during those times and found many solutions to providing a safe haven for Stormie. We had an amazing year and I am hoping that when students see individuals who are a little different than they are, that they would be able to understand that God has made all of us different, although we reflect His image.
Miss Quiros
Faithful
We learned about the character Faithful from the, The Pilgrim’s Progress. He experienced something similar to Elijah the Prophet, where he never saw death, but was taken to heaven on a chariot. Christian, the main character, experienced what it is to have a faithful friend who helped him throughout his journey to the Celestial City. With this, students understood the importance of being faithful to our friends and to sharpen one another while on this journey called Life.
Miss Quiros
Gender Roles
Throughout this month we got into discussions on Chapter 16, Gender Roles. We learned how females act and how males act. We discussed the biological trait or a socio-cultural perspective which gives us rational behind the actions that both males and females take.
Miss Quiros
Screwtape Letters
We read on through Chapter 4 where the character Apollyon is introduced as the Father of Lies and Accuser of the Brethren. We also read a portion of, C.S. Lewis’s, The Screwtape Letters. We did a comparison on Apollyon & Screwtape, discussing their attack styles and tactics. We had great conversations in class where we learned how the enemy attacks us during our time of weakness.
Miss Quiros
Memory
We discussed the Process of Memory and learned how Investigators help solve crimes. They would take the witnesses to the scene of the crime to help them recall events. We also began to discuss our favorite Bible Verses and tried recalling them from memory.
Miss Quiros
Pilgrim’s Progress
We began discussing the work of John Bunyan, The Pilgrim’s Progress. We learned about apologetics and how we as Christians need to stand up about our faith. Bunyan wrote an apology vindicating his reasoning for writing his book and even in the format in which he did; allegory. We appreciated his life’s background and learned that this book is the second most sold book after the Bible.
Miss Quiros