We Wear the Mask: November 9, 2018

Focus: What does it mean to wear a mask?

1. Warming up with a short vocabulary assessment on "The Minister's Black Veil" vocabulary

2. Enjoying a Friday freewrite: "We wear the mask."

3. Group readings of Paul Laurence Dunbar's "We Wear the Mask":

Round 1 (Vocabulary): Footnote the words you don't know, then look them up.

Round 2 (Coding): Highlight the words and phrases that you associate with "the mask" in one color. Then, highlight the words and phrases you associate with what's really underneath the mask in a different color. 

Round 3 (Motifs): In the margins, explain what patterns you notice among words associated with the mask. Then, explain what patterns you notice among words associated with what's underneath the mask.

Round 4 (Tone): Skim back through our tone words (linked HERE). Which word best captures Dunbar's tone? Support your thoughts with three words or phrases from the poem.

Round 5 (Context): Take a moment to look up our author, Paul Laurence Dunbar. What aspects of his life might connect to this poem? Write them down underneath the poem (if you need help, check out the image at the top of today's blog).

Round 6 (Theme): What do you think Dunbar wants us to understand better or differently after reading "We Wear the Mask"?

4. Enjoying grid group discussions to sort through your Level 1 and 2 questions

• Topic #1: How do people initially react to Mr. Hooper's veil? What different types of reactions are there throughout the story? How does it affect his relationship with Elizabeth?  How do people's reactions to the veil / opinions of Mr. Hooper shift by the end of the story?

• Topic #2: What do other people (including Elizabeth) see the veil as a symbol of? What does Mr. Hooper say it's a symbol of on the last page? What do you think it symbolizes?

• Topic #3: Which lines did you mark as displaying some aspect of the uncanny? How does the veil weaken Mr. Hooper, and how does it empower him?

HW:
For MONDAY: All make-up work / revisions from the past 6 weeks due.