Test Time

Dear Students,

Tomorrow is a big day for us, we have been working very hard and I know you are all going to do very well on the English Language Arts Exam.

Remember to relax today, sleep well and come to school early. I know how much your reading has improved. I am certain these gains will be reflected tomorrow.

Your teacher,

S. Namnun-Puigbo

Hero or criminal?

Dear Class,

A sign of a good book is when the characters are complex and hard to classify. Johnny certainly is a difficult character to label. We saw him doing a terrible thing on chapter five and now in chapter six he redeems himself. Based on our reading : Do you think Johnny is a hero?

Let me know!

"Nothing Gold Can Stay"

Dear Class,

What a book! I think the more we read the more involved we get into the characters and the plot. After the terrible events in chapter four we see Johnny and Ponny Boy taken refuge in an abandoned church. I think one of the most poignant moments of the book is when Ponny Boy reflecting on the past events recite the Robert Frost Poem "Nothing Gold can Stay".

I want to ask you the following: What do you thing is the meaning of this poem? Why do you think Ponny Boy said it? Let me know your thoughts.

Here is a copy of the poem.

"Nature's first green is gold,

Her hardest hue to hold.

Her early leaf's a flower;

But only so an hour.

Then leaf subsides to leaf.

So Eden sank to grief,

So dawn goes down to day.

Nothing gold can stay."

Characters Traits

Dear Class,

I can't believe that we already have read three chapters from The Outsiders!

We have seen that this is a novel that is full of dialogues, narratives, and characters.

Good readers are able to analyse the characters identities. They are able to infer information by their actions and see their changes and transformations through their conflicts, emotions and how they solve their conflicts. If we are good at studying the characters we will have a better understanding of the book.

Based on your reading, Can you tell me about a favorite character so far? Or any other character that help you understand better this book? Or about a character that intrigues you, fascinated or feel any personal connection?

Be sure to tell me: The character name, some physical characteristics, personality traits, the relationship to other characters, and any other relevant information.

Keep your reading and let me see your comments!

Gang Culture in "The Outsiders"

Dear class,

We have been doing a terrific job reading "The Outsiders". We finished chapter1. We have seen how the setting of the sixties is so important to understand the novel. We also have seen how the language of the novel is so specific and important. As we have see gang culture is another main feature of this book. Now, I want to ask you the following. Which two gangs are rivals in the novel? Which are their characteristics ? Which are their differences and similarities? Which characters belong to each gang?

When you answer remember to provide evidence from the text also remember today's lesson: When you compare you look for similarities. When you contrast you look for differences.

I can't wait to read your comments!

The Outsiders: The 1960 Issues

Dear Class:

We are seing how the 1960s setting of this novel is vital for our understanding of this book. In class, we saw the Sixties coming alive. We did a time line of important events and saw important figures. We saw art and songs from the period. Now, I want to ask you. How do that era compare to our time. How are the Sixties similar to our year 2011? How is different? Think about your responses. Remember this is an academic setting so check your spelling and language, you can also check your notes and your Venn Diagram.

The Outsiders, Unit II

Dear Class,
Welcome to Unit 2, we are going to read a great contemporary novel “The Outsiders” by author S.E. Hinton.
As a way to introduce the book we are going to do a series of pre-reading activities which will improve our understanding of this novel. So, let’s begin with the following questions: What is an outsider? Have you ever felt like an outsider?