HW10 due 6/10: PBA

1. Cover Letter (instructions below)

One or two pages

Single-spaced, with a double spaces between paragraphs

Letter format addressed to (top left hand corner):

Sean Leon
The Beacon School
227 W. 61st Street
New York, NY 10023

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HW10 due 6/3: PBA First Draft

7 class periods remain for 10H and 6 remain for 10G! 

1. PBA First Draft–Due Tuesday! Closely review the PBA Guidelines! Among other things, be sure you nail the basic formatting requirements. As you only have this one draft (which will go through peer revision) ensure that it is the best possible first draft. Read your essay aloud to “hear” mechanical issues in your writing. Proofread closely! Frankly, those who will be most successful on this will spend some time on the essay today and/or tomorrow as opposed to waiting until Monday night.
2. Tuesday, we will sign up for PBA presentation appointments and talk about what to expect during the presentation.
3. All that remains of literary discussion is for 10H to conclude the discussion of Waiting for Godot! In the days that remain, when we are not doing PBA prep work, we will be sharing songs/stories, answering questions about life and colors, and “squircling.”  On the 3×5 index card (given to 10G on Friday; 10H you can write in your notebook and we will transfer to index cards) write two class discussion questions. These should be questions that your peers will be interested in exploring! Think, what topics would you genuinely be interested in exploring with your peers? While the questions do not have to be connected to the literature read this year, consider some of the themes discussed if you need some guidance.  For example, my senior class recently discussed the following line from Steppenwolf: “Learn what is to be taken seriously and laugh at the rest.” The discussion was at once both funny and poignant. The discussions will only be as engaging as your questions are thoughtful. So, TWO QUESTIONS to close out the year!

HW10 due 5/27: PBA

1. Remember, your detailed outlines are due Wednesday, May 28. Also, per the “How to Write a Comparative Analysis” sheet: [Read more…]

NOTE: Sophomore PBA (Thanks Elam!)

The Death of Ivan Ilyich was mistakenly left off of the list of possible texts for the PBA Comparative Essay. You may choose from TWO of the following texts:

  • Slaughterhouse Five
  • Siddhartha
  • The Alchemist
  • The Death of Ivan Ilyich
  • No Exit
  • Waiting for Godot
  • Existentialism is a Humanism*

* Only if you choose to use this text as a critical lens. Meaning, you must still choose two primary texts (i.e. Slaughterhouse Five and Siddhartha) and use Existentialism is a Humanism as a critical lens through which you make your comparison. You should only choose this option if you have control of Sartre’s essay.

HW10 due 5/5 (5/6 for 10G): Research and Comparative Thesis

1. Samuel Beckett–(1 page) Research and take notes on our last (last, as in the last author we read this year: Samuel Beckett) author.
2. Theater of the Absurd–(1 page) Research and take notes.
3. Sophomore PBA–Print out and read the sophomore PBA guidelines.
4. Goodreads–Post a comparative thesis.