I've been thinking about college prep for next year. I think that I would like to add at least one book a quarter that we read together. Yes - in addition to your book reviews :-) Actually, I think I would have them read it outside of class, but we would discuss the book in class. With that thought in mind, I would like to take suggestions from you as to what books I should add. Here are a few of my thoughts; you don't have to go with these, but give me at least four choices.
1. Tale of Two Cities - Charles Dickens
2. Animal Farm - George Orwell
3. Fahrenheit 451 - Ray Bradbury
4. Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck
5. Catcher in the Rye - J.D. Salinger
6. The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald
7. The Screwtape Letters - C.S. Lewis
8. Dr. Zhivago - Boris Pasternak
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Wow, all I am going to say is that I am glad I am not in College Prep for next year because I barely have enough time to read my books for my book reports now. In my opinion I wouldn't do this, but that decision is ultimately up to you. Um, I honestly don't have any idea of what books you should choose, but if you do decide to have the three books a quarter I would pick very short books for the ones that you discuss with your class together.
ReplyDeleteOh My Gosh, Well, that would be a lot of reading and take a long time to read three books a quarter. Sometimes I struggle with reading two books a quarter. I agree with Hadra.
ReplyDeletettfn
Danielle
o yes, and I would have them read some Jane Austen because she rocks!
WHATEVER YOU DO, PLEASE DO NOT MAKE THEM READ GRAPES OF WRATH!!! It is a terrible book. Nobody will like it and most may even decide not to read it.
ReplyDeleteI would suggest Wuthering Heights because it is a great book, and having discussions on it would help a lot with understanding the story. I think that the book would get a good discussion going.
I'd try to pick books that are somewhat short, because the students who take Social Problems do a lot of reading already.
Having another book to read would be very difficult because I barely have enough time to read for my book review as it is. With that being said, it is COLLEGE PREP english and we are going to be needing to read a lot in college. From doing youth options and having the experience of going to stout, there is a lot of reading for just the two classes I am taking, let alone all of the other classes one would normally take if in college. I think it is a good idea even though it would be insanely overwhelming. Maybe you could do the reading together as a class more in the beginning of the year when things aren't as busy, and then not continue reading together for the 2nd semester. I'm not sure if I have 4 particular books in mind, but reading books that we may have to read in college would be good ones.
ReplyDeleteWell, I would say that that might get a little stressful for the students that would be taking both CP english and Social Problems. I'd say it's hard enough as it is. But since it's your class... :)
ReplyDeleteI'd say that John Steinbeck is a good author - a lot of his books are short... But apparently the Grapes of Wrath isn't very good, so not that one.
Animal farm is a creepy movie!!! I haven't read the book but my dad bought the movie (it's a cartoon) thinking that it would be a nice story for us kids. Weeeellll... I watched it with Brittany and Trevor and it scarred us for life! Trevor was so creeped out - he was only like six years old. I felt bad for showing it to him. Just thought I'd share that nice little story.
I think that it would be fun, but I think for students also in social problems it would be a huge challenge. Having these two classes I barely have enough time to do the 5 book reports for social problems and 2 for this class. I think that with certain books it would be do able, but longer ones would be harder to do. That is my opinion though.
ReplyDelete~Alexa
ewwww! That would be very stressful! senior year itself is very crazy! Also finding time to read more books is practicaly impossible! but I don't know what to say its your class!
ReplyDeleteLike everyone else, I do think that this situation would get slightly stressful for social problems students. However, that's life. I think it would be okay to have students read a little at night and discuss a book everyday in class as long as you gave the stuents a couple days in between readings. I think this type of project would be best spread out over the entire quarter so kids would be forced to remember things beyond a period of two to three weeks. It seems like too much of the information I learn in English is just forgotten a couple months after the class is over. You could even give a quest on the book at the end of the quarter. This way, the book wouldn't be a ton of added stress to the already busy schedules of most collge prep and regular class activities could still take place. Also, giving the students longer books like "The Grapes of Wrath" would be no problem if spread out over a quarter. Maybey the book could even be separated into nine parts and Mondays could be book discussion and quiz day. "The Grapes of Wrath" along with the books listed by C.S. Lewis, George Orwell, and Charles Dickens would be great choices if you ask me.
ReplyDeleteBut seriously, I was just kidding about making them read " The Grapes of Wrath." I read twenty five pages last friday in Social problems and the only thing it really said was that the land was dry. I quit. Now I'm reading a different Steinbeck book.
ReplyDelete"The Grapes of Wrath" sticks.
ReplyDeleteIt's terrible.
Don't read it!
Though I have yet to read any of these books, I would pick these four of the choices previously stated:
ReplyDeleteAnimal Farm - George Orwell
Catcher in the Rye - J.D. Salinger
The Screwtape Letters - C.S. Lewis
Dr. Zhivago - Boris Pasternak
I think it'd be a good idea to read a book and explain it in class. However, I'd give students the option of using these in their book reports.
I think that would be very intense, especially for people that want to take Social Problems and College Prep English. In my opinion, we read enough already! I think that if you want them to read certain books, you could make one book review a book of their choice off your list and one book review an assigned book. I think that adding another book would be super stressful.
ReplyDeleteI don't really have an opinion on those books because I have never read them, but I have heard that "Grapes of Wrath" is very boring. So, I would not suggest that one!!