Week at a glance Oct 18 - 22, 2010

Curriculum focus: determines word meanings through knowledge of word structure: Greek and Latin roots and prefixes and suffixes (11.1.3.k3), uses information from the text to make inferences and draw conclusions (11.1.4.K5), identifies persuasive techniques (11.1.4.K14a-f), distinguishes between fact and opinion and recognizes propaganda (11.1.4.K15a), analyzes how the author’s use of irony contributes to his/her purpose (11.1.4.K11c), contextual aspects of setting: how history, society, and culture influence events in the text (11.2.1.K2), and analyzes how the problem or conflict advances the plot of a narrative (11.2.1.K3a).

Root words for this week (root - definition - examples):

1. bene - well - benefit, benediction, benefactor
   
2. cred - believe - credit, creed, incredible
   
3. cres, cret, cru - rise or grow - crescendo, increase, concrete
   
4. luc, lum - light - lucid, lucrative, luminescent, illuminate
   
5. phil - strong love for - philosophy, philanthropy, bibliophile
   
6. sopho - wisdom - sophisticated, philosophy, sophomore

This week we finally finish our unit over Arthur Miller's The Crucible. Our unit was interrupted by the need to review for last week's state assessment. We've already finished the play; however, The Crucible is an allegory. An allegory is a metaphorical story in which issues or themes represent ideas and a message the author hopes to convey. In this case, although the Salem Witch Trials actually happened, Arthur Miller was using them allegorically to portray the terror and atrocities of the anti-Communist hysteria of the 1950s. We'll take a look at the allegorical context for The Crucible and show how a writer may use a text as a mirror for his/her own time period. Toward the end of the week, we'll move on to pre-writing work for our Problem/Solution Research Essay by selecting topics that will guide our research in the computer lab the following week.

• Mon: New root words; quiz on Friday. Decoding The Crucible as Allegory: Miller and McCarthyism - discussion in class.
  
• Tues: The Crucible as Allegory: Good Night, and Good Luck - notes in class.
  
• Wed: The Crucible as Allegory: Good Night, and Good Luck - complete short reflection essay for Thursday.
  
• Thurs: Problem/Solution Research Essay - pick two topics and write a topic proposal, due Friday.
  
• Fri: Root Words quiz. Problem/Solution Research Essay - topic proposal due. Discussion over topic possibilities. Preview the annotated bibliography.