Monday

Assignment for Monday and Tuesday:

Read “Upon Seeing England for the First Time” copies are in students’ emails. And answer study questions on blog. Work on grammar exercises below. If you finish with both of those assignments choose poem for POETRY OUT LOUD!!!! Poetry Out Loud website: POEMS

Question for "Upon Seeing England for the First Time":

How does Kincaid use imagery to contrast the idealized England she was taught to admire with the England she later understands as a symbol of colonial power?

In what ways does the essay critique colonial education? Identify specific lessons, symbols, or classroom moments that shaped the narrator’s early perceptions of England.

How does Kincaid’s tone shift throughout the essay, and what does this shift reveal about her evolving relationship with England?

What is the significance of the map of England in the narrator’s childhood? How does it function as a symbol of colonial influence and identity formation?

How does Kincaid use repetition—certain phrases, images, or ideas—to reinforce the oppressive persistence of British cultural dominance?

Consider Kincaid’s descriptions of food and clothing. How do these details illustrate the everyday ways colonialism infiltrates personal and cultural identity? 

How does the adult narrator reinterpret her childhood experiences? What does this reveal about the lasting psychological effects of colonial rule?

What role does irony play in the essay, especially when the narrator discusses England as something “fantastic” or “special”?

How does Kincaid challenge the notion of England as a cultural ideal? Identify passages where she deconstructs its supposed superiority.

In the final section of the essay, how does Kincaid reassert her own identity and perspective? What rhetorical strategies does she use to reclaim agency after describing the weight of colonial influence?

 

Grammar Exercises: Insert the correct punctuation.

1. Add the missing punctuation (comma, semicolon, or colon):
   The debate team packed three things __ their evidence files their timers and their flow pads.

2. Add the correct punctuation:
   Maya wanted to leave early __ however the bus didn’t arrive until 4:15.

3. Add a comma, semicolon, colon, or dash where needed:
   I know one thing for sure __ we need to start practicing now.

4. Rewrite with the correct punctuation:
   Colin studied for hours __ he still felt unprepared for the exam.

5. Insert punctuation:
   The committee included four students __ Ana, Luis, Mary, and Joel.

6. Add punctuation to clarify the sentence:
   Jared brought his favorite snacks __ pretzels popcorn gummy bears and chocolate.

7. Add a comma, semicolon, colon, or dash:
   We tried everything to fix the broken laptop __ restarting it updating it even hitting it lightly.

8. Fix the sentence using the correct punctuation:
   The weather was perfect for hiking __ warm sunny and just windy enough.

9. Add punctuation:
   Ella kept repeating the same question __ “Are we there yet?”

10. Insert the correct punctuation:
    He didn’t know what bothered him more __ the silence __ or the fact that everyone seemed to be waiting for him to speak.