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Monday, 09/18/2017
To extend student learning about Appalachian culture and memoirs, we will read an excerpt from the novel October Sky, by Homer Hickam. Homer Hickam is from the small coal-mining town of Coalwood, West Virginia. Like Lyons, he grew up in rural Appalachia. He is a Vietnam Veteran, an author, and a former NASA engineer. His novel Rocket Boys / October Sky tells the story of he and his friends being inspired by the launch of Sputnik to begin designing and launching rockets against all odds. Students will read the following excerpt of Chapter 1, titled Coalwood and complete discussion questions for the chapter. For homework, students should look up Homer Hickam and write a two paragraph response explaining how his background and culture influenced his writing. Tuesday, 09/18/2017 Using their excerpt, students will identify sensory language/imagery in Hickam's writing. With this imagery, students will design a travel poster for Coalwood. This creative project asks students to 1) identify sensory language 2) understand how sensory language is used by author's to create a visual picture for readers. Posters will be due at the end of class. During the last 15 minutes of class, we will begin viewing the film October Sky, which is rated PG. This film provides unique cross-curricular insights into history, science, and literature. Learn more about this film HERE. Wednesday, 09/20/17 Students will begin the class discussing October Sky. Does the film accurately reflect the image written by Homer Hickam in his novel? How can screenwriters and directors use the sensory language written by authors like Hickam to develop a vivid and accurate setting in a film? What inspires "the rocket boys" of Coalwood? What obstacles do they face? How does the culture of Coalwood (and mining towns in rural Appalachia in general) affect the boys and their dreams of working for NASA? Continue film viewing. Thursday, 09/21/17 SUBSTITUTE. Students will read the excerpt of the memoir Funny in Farsi in their SpringBoard texts on pg. 119. They will analyze the narrative and identify key narrative components, as well as identify and analyze aspects of culture presented in literature. Funny in Farsi is the memoir of Firoozeh Dumas, an Iranian writer. Growing up the daughter of a Fulbright scholar, she lived in both Iran and America and has written several books about the experience of growing up in Middle-Eastern culture. Students will complete questions 1-6 following the text, and also will complete a chart comparing and contrasting the memoirs "Coalwood" and "Funny in Farsi." All work is due at the end of class. Friday, 09/22/2017 Students will take the Week 3 VFL quiz and complete all viewing and activities for the film October Sky.
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DR. MEGHAN CONLEY
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