Friday, February 26th

Angie Thomas- 

From her website bio: Angie Thomas was born, raised, and still resides in Jackson, Mississippi as indicated by her accent. She is a former teen rapper whose greatest accomplishment was an article about her in Right-On Magazine. She holds a BFA in Creative Writing from Belhaven University and an unofficial degree in Hip Hop. Angie is an inaugural winner of the Walter Dean Myers Grant 2015, awarded by We Need Diverse Books. Her debut novel, The Hate U Give, started as a senior project in college. Ms. Thomas' books also include: On the Come Up and  Concrete Rose, a prequel to The Hate U Give. 

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Mrs. Reith's Agenda: Close Reading and Annotations of The Great Gatsby

1. Review of how to close read and annotate

2. Begin work on Gatsby Chapters 1-3 Close Reading

What does it mean to close read?

Close reading is a method of literary analysis that focuses on specific details of a text in order to find deeper meaning within it. Being able to close read effectively is important because it will help you become independent readers who can interpret a text and connect with it on a deeper level.

What does it mean to annotate?

To annotate means to underline or highlight key words or phrases- anything that strikes you as surprising or significant, or anything that raises questions- and making notes about these words or phrases in the margins. Responding to a text in this way forces the reader to pay close attention and really think about the text. This practice is the first step in moving from a reader to a writer.

When annotating, look for patterns in what you are noticing about a text. Look for contradictions, repetitions, and similarities. Look at the figurative language. Ask questions about patterns and figurative language.