Michael Sodomka, Principal 30 East Baker Street, Saint Paul, MN 55107 (651) 293-8600 | Hours: 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Course Description
English 1001 is a University of Minnesota course which is offered to high school students who have demonstrated exceptional skills in reading and writing. This is a course that is intended to mirror a class on campus, and prepare students to take college classes in the future. Over the semester, students will read 20th century fiction that will challenge ideas about the world and belief systems.
This course is different from other English courses offered in high school. The course will focus on multicultural literature, informal writing, and active discussion. Discussion is very important in this class, as students written response will grow out of analysis and interpretation of the literature during the class period.
Through intensive, close reading of a range of literary works, students will understand diverse experiences, languages, and forms, and genres. They will also find it necessary to understand knowledge in various fields (history, art, literature, music, politics, philosophy) and social practices (gender, sexuality, and class, and more) in order to understand the basic “facts” of literary works. These are discoveries which they will make through the guidance of the instructor, other students, and themselves. In the end they
Books we will read:
In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez
Sula by Toni Morrison
Love Medicine by Louise Erdrich
Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi
Bless Me Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya
Nervous Conditions by Tsitsi Dangarembga
The Sorrow of War by Bao Ninh
Use this site to create your blog. You will post all of your writing for your Readers Notebook on this site. You will respond to your classmates writing.
Ms. Christensen's Blog
Check this site regularly for postings, polls, and other important information.
Sula This site has a short review of the novel and links to scholarly essays about Toni Morrison's work.
Love Medicine This site has information on the author and the book. Please take a look at the character page and print it out to help you in your reading.
Bless Me, Ultima This site contains a biography of Rudolfo Anaya and a interview.
Persepolis This site is an article about the veil in Iran. Read this and compare to what you know from Persepolis the novel.
Sorrow of War This MPR site has much information on Post Traumatic Stress Disorder in returning soldiers of war. Please look at the time line from this link. Feel free to look at the other articles as will.
Nervous Conditions This site contains the article you need to read for Tuesday.