English 9 Class Notes
Objectives: Students will ask and answer level questions.
Period 1 freshmen, I took time today analyzing to introduce you to the idea of different levels of questions we ask when experience any text by analyzing the painting Automat by Edward Hopper.
Level 1 questions are fundamental and come in two varieties: “Right there” questions and “Pulling it together” questions. Answers to the first can be found directly in a text, eg., “What colors are the woman’s clothes and makeup?”, or for our most recent story “The Scarlet Ibis”, “How did Doodle get his name?”. Answers to the second come from connecting various elements from different parts of a text, eg., “Why is the woman in the automat?”, or, also from “The Scarlet Ibis”, “What words can be used to characterize Brother?”
Level 2 questions involve the “Text and ‘me’”. Answers to these questions rely on my educated guesses about a text I’m reading, or, how I draw conclusions from my analysis and interpretation of elements in a text, eg., “Why did Hopper choose the empty chair as the painting’s balance point rather than the figure of the woman?”, or, again from our latest short story, “How is the appearance of the scarlet ibis symbolic of the events surrounding Doodle and his death?”
Level 3 questions, which we didn’t really delve into, ask me to provide answers “On my own”. Answers to these questions ask me to develop an informed opinion about a text based upon my reasoned understanding it. I can also rely on my personal experiences in and my knowledge of the world to help me answer these types of questions, eg., “What insight does Hopper offer to the problem of loneliness in Automat?”, or, for “The Scarlet Ibis”, “What are the origins and consequences of human pride as exemplified by Doodle’s brother?”
We’ll tackle level 3 questions more later, but you’ll begin to see that understanding better how you think by separating and classifying your thoughts may enhance your comprehension which may result in better ideas in your written work.
We’ll begin drafting a paragraph about the Hurst story next Monday. See you then.
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