Wednesday, 28 October

Class complete the "My Path Survey" as part of an English Department Project.

Students turned in their essay outlines and got feedback from Mr. Zartler.

Students identified key words in their thesis statements.

Mr. Zartler gave a lesson on using topic sentence (and thesis statement) key words in the explanation of evidence in body paragraphs. Key take away: A lawyer can't just show the jury a glove. The lawyer has to explain, "If the glove don't fit, you can't convict!" Actually it turns out the quote is, "If the glove don't fit, you must acquit," which is, as Callie pointed out, a better rhyme.

Students had some time to work on developing the explanations for their evidence.

Rough drafts due next class!

Monday, 26 October

Students submitted potential thesis statements for their essay on Lord of the Flies.

Mr. Zartler went over due dates for this essay:

Wednesday, 28 October: A complete outline for the essay including body paragraph topic sentences and evidence to be used.

Monday, 2 November: Rough draft of the essay.

Friday, 6 November: Mr. Zartler will be available for tutorial. (Papers may be turned in to avoid having to do them over the weekend).

Monday, 9 November: Final papers due.


The class worked on revising thesis statements, and on finding evidence for the outline.

Next unit is Macbeth: We will begin Macbeth on Wednesday, 4 November.

Monday, 19 October

Students in 6th and 8th turned in their "Interactions" work.

All classes took the Lord of the Flies final test.

Essays and the recents tests and quizzes were returned.

Mr. Zartler gave examples of editing marks, and what to do to respond to each one. The class reviewed several anonymous examples of papers.

Next students worked on a series of questions in order to be ready to bring two (2) potential thesis statements to the next class (Monday, 26 October).

Thursday, 15 October

Students were reminded of due dates (see previous post).

Class time was spent working in "Interactions Groups".

Students were asked to write about each of the following questions in order to prepare for work on essay thesis statements next class (responses should be written with the question "What is human nature?" in mind:

Do you think what happened on the island is reasonable? WHY?

If you wrote this story, how would it be different? WHY?

WHY are Simon & Piggy dead? Why was Ralph about to be?

Is the ending a "Happy Ending?"


The handout for next Monday was shared:

Lord of the Flies Thesis Development

Lord of the Flies Big Questions

What is necessary to uphold civilization?

Are humans good? Are humans evil?

How does Simon as a Christ figure help one understand Golding’s view of human nature?

How does Freud’s theory of the psyche help one understand the human nature as depicted in Lord of the Flies?

Symbols (Think about how the issues you have been interacting with help illustrate your point about human nature):

Thesis Statement Elements:

1) How do your interactions help you understand human nature in Lord of the Flies?

Name ___________________________________ Date _______________ Period __________

Proposed Thesis Statement #1

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Response to Proposed Thesis Statement #1 How could this writer improve the thesis statement? Does it address a big question and one or more literary elements? Why or how is it an important question?

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Proposed Thesis Statement #2

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Response to Proposed Thesis Statement #2 How could this writer improve the thesis statement? Does it address a big question and one or more literary elements? Why or how is it an important question?

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Tuesday, October 15th

The class began by rereading the last section of the last chapter. We identified "the officer" as a symbol of society, adults, and the Super-ego.

Students worked in small groups to write an interior monologue of the officer's thoughts upon finding the boys.

Students then had time to work in their "Interactions groups."

Due dates as follows:

Final Exam; Interactions; and Rough Draft:

Final Comprehension Test (chapters 1-12) DUE Monday, 19 October
12 Interactions DUE Monday, 19 October

Rough draft of essay due Monday, the 26th (note that that is the next class).

Thursday, 8 October

Class began with groups presenting their "room as portrait" posters of the main characters. Each character was assigned a list of adjectives to supplement the portrait.

The class discussed Simon as Christ symbol and the concept of martyr.

Students wrote to the prompt: Good and Evil: What is it? How do you recognize it?

Students worked in groups on their "Interactions" projects. The interactions are due the class after the last chapter is due: Monday, 19 October.

Have an excellent long weekend.

Tuesday, October 6

Students who did not finish their paragraphs on Chapter 5 and symbols turned them in.

Students took notes on kinds of conflict in literature, and were asked to consider what conflict or conflicts are at the core of Lord of the Flies. The class discussed how novels show the effect of conflict on the protagonist, and then discussed how one's room can tell a lot about a person or character.

Students worked in small groups to create a "portrait" of the four main characters in Lord of the Flies according to the room that they lived in before coming to the island.

Wednesday & Friday, 30 September and 2 October

Pardon the late entries. Mr. Zartler was absent on Friday.

On Wednesday of last week students primarily worked on the Text Interactions assignment and completed their notes about Freud: The Ego, The Id, and the Super Ego.


Students took a test on Chapters 1-6 on Friday. Any student who missed the test should see Mr. Zartler immediately for a make up assignment.

Students also worked on writing two paragraphs about symbols in Chapter 5 here is that assignment:

Symbols in Chapter 5 of Lord of the Flies

As we have been studying Lord of the Flies, we have been focusing on several important symbols: The Conch; Rules; The way the boys look; Hunting; Pigs; Piggy’s Glasses; knife.

Most of Chapter 5 is about a meeting the boys have. Below are nine quotes, mostly from the meeting. You are to pick at least three of these quotes and to write a paragraph that explains the relationship of the quote to one of more of the symbols above. Try to write about more than the literal relationship of the symbols and the quotes.

On the first page of this chapter the reader is told what Ralph is thinking, it says, “This meeting must not be fun, but business” (76).

Later it says, “Ralph moved impatiently. The trouble was, if you were a chief you had to think , you hd to be wise…. This made you think; because thought was a valuable thing, that got results …. Only, decided Ralph as he faced the chief’s seat, I can’t think. Not like Piggy.” (8 )

During the important meeting in Chapter 5 “Beast from Water” Ralph says, “We need an assembly. Not for fun. Not for laughing and falling off the log, not for making jokes, or for”—[Ralph] lifted the conch in an effort to find the compelling word—“for cleverness. Not for these things. But to put things straight.” (79)

Ralph says during the meeting, “You hunters! You can laugh! But I tell you the smoke is more important than the pig however often you kill one. Do all of you see?” (81)

Jack talks later in the meeting he says, “And as for the fear—you’ll have to put up with that like the rest of us. The thins is—fear can’t hurt you any more than a dream. There aren’t any beasts to be afraid of on this island.” He looked along the row of whispering litlteluns. “Serve you right if something did get you, you useless lot of cry-babies!” (82)

Later in the meeting Jack says, “Well then—I’ve been all over this island. By myself. If there were a beast I’d have seen it. Be frightened because your like that—but there is no beast in the forest.” (83)

Percival tells the kids that the beast comes from the sea. Then later Simon speaks. He is asked if he believes in the beast and his answer is, “What I mean is … maybe it’s only us.” (89)

Later Jack keeps interrupting Piggy, Ralph tells him to be quiet because Piggy has the conch. Jack says, “Who cares?”

Ralph answers, “Because the rules are the only thing we’ve got!”

Jack’s reply is, “Bullocks to the rules!” (91)

Piggy sums up his thoughts on page 93, “If Jack was chief he’d have all hunting and no fire. We’d be here till we died.”