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Assignment for November 7th

Class,

We have moved into Realism this week and with that, we will be exploring our first novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain. Your assignment (a link to Audible is provided in another post) is to read or listen to the first ten chapters. I imagine this will take you up to 2 1/2 hours this week. As such, there is no writing assignment due for the next class. However, there is the final semester essay that is due November 28th, our last class of the semester.

For that essay, please choose any literary movement, historical event, person, author, poem, or short story and write a 2-3 page argument or analysis. You have freedom to explore your interests here. You may write on the Puritans, Emerson, the Suffragettes, Andrew Jackson, the Trail of Tears, Frederick Douglass's letter...anything that has sparked your interest.

For history this week, I would like for each of you to look into Andrew Jackson, read about the Trail of Tears, and the Indian Removal Act. You do not have to write on these, but take notes for class discussion. I expect that all of you can participate in class discussions. And this will also help us with our mock trial. Those of you who have a part, read through your character's bio and deposition and be ready for your call to witness. The rest of you are the jury and we must decide if Andrew Jackson is guilty of the loss of life of 4, 000 Cherokee Indians.

Finally, class requires participation in some form or another. Even if you are not participating in the discussions, I expect you to at least move to a spot to view the presentations and Prezi lesson covering our literature and history lesson. Please save your phone time for our breaks and after class. Your parents are paying a lot of money for this course and I only get to work with you for three hours a week. If you cannot bring yourself to move and participate, please chat with your parents about finding a better way for you to learn. I don't want any of us to lose time, money, and education. I will do my best to bring you interesting and relevant content each week, grade your papers in a timely manner, and teach you to the best of my ability; however, I need your participation and schoolwork turned in to make this work. I take this classroom time very seriously. If there are any students disruptive to the learning environment, I will provide a one-time conference with that student. The second offense will involve the parents. The third offense will result in your permanent removal from the class.

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