This weekend I went to New York City to visit my daughter, and my mother, who hasn't been in the city since I was in college (!!), joined us. She got the full experience of a packed subway, endless walking, as well as a bumpy taxi ride! We visited South Street Seaport, where my daughter's office building is located, and the World Trade Center memorial. The following day, we meandered around the NY Botanical Gardens to see the special exhibit of glass artist Dale Chihuly, whose work was installed around the grounds. Throughout were posters of poetry written by NYC school children who were inspired by the gardens and Chihuly's creations; it reminded me of past visits we have made to the Smith College pond and art museum to find inspiration for poetry. I hope we can do something similar again this year!
This week students are reading Mark Twain's "The Californian's Tale", a story inspired by the time he spent in mining camps out west during the Gold Rush. They will identify various elements of fiction in the story, and examine Twain's use of "local color" to describe the setting.
Students should be wrapping up their choice book reading this week. A final response is due on Friday. They will take a vocabulary quiz on Friday to also wrap up list #2.
Homework:
Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday: Read w/sticky notes; final response due Friday. Vocabulary quiz on Friday.
Californian's Tale questions
