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Outside, the woods lay basking in clear October sunlight; trees a riot of color, air full of Autumn’s tang and the sharp, exciting smell of moist, leaf- covered earth.

Inside, a man smiled grimly as he turned from the bathroom cabinet, entered the expensively primitive living room of his mountain camp, and crossed to a closet set in the pine wall. It was his special closet, with a spring lock and in it he kept guns, ammunition, fishing-rods, tackle and liquor. Not even his wife was allowed to have a key, for Judson Webb loved his personal possessions and felt a sense of deep outrage if they were touched by any hand but his own. The closet door stood open; he had been packing his things away for the Winter, and in a few minutes would be driving back to civilization.

As he looked at the shelf on which the liquor stood his smile was not attractive. All the bottles were unopened except one quart of Bourbon which was placed invitingly in front, a whiskey glass by its side. This bottle was less than half full. As he took it from the shelf his wife spoke from the adjoining bedroom:

“I’m all packed, Judson,” she said. “Hasn’t Alec come to turn the water off and get the keys?”

Alec lived about a mile down the road and acted as a caretaker for the city folks when they were away.

“He’s down at the lake taking the boats out of water. Said he’d be back in half an hour.”

Marcia came into the room carrying her suitcase. But she paused in surprise as she saw the bottle in her husband’s hand.

“Judson!” she exclaimed, “you’re not taking a drink at ten o’clock in the morning?”

"You wrong me, my dear," he chuckled, "I'm not taking anything out of this bottle: I am merely putting a little kick into it.”

His closed hand opened and he put upon the table two tiny white pellets as he started to uncork the whiskey. Her eyes narrowed as she watched him. She had learned to dread that tone of his voice; it was the tone he used when he was planning to “put something over” in a business deal.

“Whoever broke into my closet last Winter and stole my liquor will probably try it again once we are out of here,” he went on, “only this time he’ll wish he hadn’t.”



She caught her breath at the cruel vindictiveness of his manner as one by one he dropped the tablets into the bottle and held it up to watch them dissolve.



“What are they?” she asked, “something to make him sick?”



“And how!” He seemed fascinated as he saw the genial Bourbon change into a lethal dose: “At least no one has found an antidote: once it’s down it’s curtains.” He corked his bottled vengeance and set it back on the shelf alongside the little whiskey glass.



“Everything nice and handy,” he remarked approvingly. “Now, Mr. Thief, when you break in, drink hearty; I won’t begrudge you this one.”



The woman’s face was pale. “Don’t do it, Judson,” she gasped. “It’s horrible — it’s murder.”



“The law doesn’t call it murder if I shoot a thief who is entering my house by force,” he said harshly. “Also, the use of rat poison is quite legal. The only way any rat can get into this closet is to break in. What happens then is his affair, not mine.”



“Don’t do it, Judson,” she begged. “The law doesn’t punish burglary by death; so what right have you—”



“When it comes to protecting my property I make my own laws.” His deep voice suggested a big dog growling at threatened loss of a bone.



“But all they did was to steal a little liquor,” she pleaded. “Probably some boys off on a lark. They didn’t do any real damage.”



“That’s not the point,” he said. “If a man holds me up and robs me of five dollars it makes me just as sore as if he took a hundred. A thief’s a thief.”

She made one last effort. “We won’t be here till next spring. I can’t bear to think of that deathtrap waiting there all the time. Suppose something happens to us — and no one knows — ”

He chuckled once more at her words. “We’ll take a chance on that,” he said. “I’ve made my pile by taking chances. If I should die, you can do as you please. The stuff will be yours.”

It was useless to argue, she knew. He had always been ruthless in business and whenever anything crossed him. Things had to be done his way. She turned toward the outer door with a sigh of defeat. “I’ll walk down the road and say good bye at the farmhouse,” she said quietly. “You can pick me up there.” She had made up her mind to tell Alec’s wife. Someone had to know.



“Okay, my dear,” he smiled genially, “and don’t worry about your poor, abused little burglar. No one is going to get hurt who hasn’t got it coming to him.”

As she went down the path he started to close the closet door; then paused as he remembered his hunting boots drying outside on the porch. They belonged in the closet, so leaving the door open he went to fetch them from the heavy, rustic table on which they stood, along with his bag and top coat.

Alec was coming up from the lake and waved to him from a distance. A chipmunk, hearing Judson’s heavy tread, abandoned the acorn he was about to add to his store within the cabin wall and disappeared, like an electric bulb burning out. Judson, reaching for his boots, stepped fairly upon the acorn, his foot slid from under him and his head struck the massive table as he fell.

Several minutes later he began to regain his senses. Alec’s strong arm was supporting his as he lay on the porch and a kindly voice was saying: “’Twarn’t much of a fall, Mr. Webb. You aren’t cut none; jest knocked out for a minute. Here, take this; it’ll pull you together.”



A small whiskey glass was pressed to his lips. Dazed and half-conscious, he drank.
LET'S WRITE

Using the story above, you are going to choose TWO of the following tasks below to respond to.

YOU WILL TURN SOME OF THESE END AT THE END OF THE UNIT FOR A TEST GRADE, SO COMPLETE TWO OF THE OPTIONS BELOW TODAY.



Mastery Task Interpersonal Task
Provide three examples of cause-and-effect relationships found within the text using specific details that propelled the action of the text and/or text evidence to support your thinking.

In the context of the story, do you think Judson was right to take justice into his own hands? Why or why not? What pressure does his wife now face as a result of knowing about the crime being committed?
Understanding Task Self Expressive Task
Come up with three questions Judson's wife could have asked him to try and make him rethink his decision to put the rat poison in the liquor bottle. Explain why your questions would have been beneficial to her argument.
Develop a simile or metaphor for the following prompts and explain the relationship that you develop. Remember you are comparing two things that are not typically alike. You don't want to give me a descriptive adjective; you want to compare two things that are different but have a connection through a characteristic. Explain the relationship between your chosen comparisons.

Judson's possessions are __________________________.

Judson's personality is _____________________________.

Judson's fate is ___________________________________.

5 answers

Sure! Here are responses to two of the tasks based on the story provided.

Mastery Task: Cause-and-Effect Relationships

  1. Cause: Judson Webb’s anger about his liquor being stolen leads him to retaliate by poisoning a bottle of whiskey.
    Effect: This decision is driven by his desire for revenge and the belief that he has the right to protect his property at any cost, showcasing a lethal sense of justice.
    Text Evidence: “If a man holds me up and robs me of five dollars it makes me just as sore as if he took a hundred. A thief’s a thief.”

  2. Cause: Marcia's pleas for Judson not to poison the whiskey demonstrate her moral opposition to his plan.
    Effect: Her resistance creates tension between them, highlighting the stark contrast in their values and ultimately showcasing her helplessness in the face of Judson’s determination.
    Text Evidence: “It’s horrible — it’s murder.”

  3. Cause: Judson’s fall results from slipping on an acorn while retrieving his hunting boots.
    Effect: This moment of physical irony causes him to unknowingly consume the very poison intended for a thief, potentially rendering him a victim of his own vindictiveness.
    Text Evidence: “Judson, reaching for his boots, stepped fairly upon the acorn, his foot slid from under him and his head struck the massive table as he fell.”

Interpersonal Task: Judson's Justice

In the context of the story, Judson’s decision to take justice into his own hands is deeply flawed and ethically questionable. While his anger towards theft is understandable, the drastic measure of poisoning the liquor elevates his lack of judgement to an extreme. Justice should ideally come through legal channels, rather than personal vendetta. His actions show a loss of perspective, where the desire for retribution overshadows moral considerations.

As for his wife, Marcia faces immense pressure now that she knows about Judson's cruel plan. She is torn between her loyalty to her husband and her moral beliefs, creating a psychological burden as she grapples with the potential consequences of his actions. The knowledge of Judson’s intentions puts her in a position where she may need to consider whether to intervene further, potentially putting herself in opposition to him or risk carrying the heavy weight of complicity should something go awry through his vindictive scheme.

Feel free to let me know if you'd like adjustments or additional responses!

Mastery Task Interpersonal Task
Choose one of the following texts from our previous lessons and rewrite the story in 7-8 sentences making sure that the theme of the story is still shared. Try to chunk the story into 7-8 parts and write a summary sentence for each part.

"The Tell-Tale Heart"

"The Raven"

"The Moustache"

"The Treasure of Lemon Brown"

Everyone experiences obstacles, just like the characters we have met in our last few lessons. Most lessons are learned through overcoming our obstacles. Each of the themes in the presentation posted below could relate to an obstacle. Think about how each would apply to you. Based on your own experiences and understandings, do you agree or disagree with each of the lessons. Explain why.

Understanding Task Self Expressive Task
Choose a character from one of our past readings, and explain why the character could have written the lyrics for Andy Grammer's song "Keep Your Head Up." Use evidence to support your thinking.

Read the anecdote below. There is a lesson to be learned from this short story. Choose a theme that you believe to be important and write your own anecdote that teaches a lesson. It should be 7-8 sentences and your conclusion sentence should give your reader a clue as to what the theme of the story is.

Return to top.

Evaluate
As we grow as writers, you may begin to recognize patterns in your own writing as you differentiate between first thoughts and best thoughts. Make a mental note of things you want to keep an eye out for when you are checking to make sure that you are sharing your best thoughts. Remember to dig a little deeper than what's on the SURFACE. (If you need a reminder about what SURFACE writing is, look back at the "Writing Your Best Thoughts 1" lesson.)

Remember, you are going to keep track of your responses and turn your TWO best responses in at the end of the unit. Your goal should be to create SIX strong responses and then narrow them down to the the two best of the best. Happy writing!

Certainly! Let's take "The Tell-Tale Heart" and summarize it into 7-8 sentences while maintaining its core theme.

"The Tell-Tale Heart" Summary

  1. Introduction of the Narrator’s Madness: The story begins with an unreliable narrator who insists on his sanity while describing his obsession with an old man’s vulture-like eye.
  2. Planning the Murder: Driven by his irrational hatred for the eye, he meticulously plans to kill the old man, claiming it is a way to rid himself of the eye forever.
  3. Execution of the Plan: Night after night, the narrator sneaks into the old man's room while he sleeps, growing more confident that he can execute his plan without detection.
  4. The Murder: Overwhelmed by his fixation, he finally takes action and murders the old man, dismembering the body and hiding it under the floorboards.
  5. The Arrival of the Police: Soon after, the police arrive to investigate the old man's disappearance, as neighbors reported a scream during the night.
  6. The Narrator's Confidence Deteriorates: The narrator initially feels triumphant and in control, boasting about how cleverly he hid the evidence.
  7. Onset of Guilt: However, as the conversation continues, he begins to hear the sound of a heartbeat—becoming increasingly disturbed by his overwhelming guilt.
  8. Denouement: Ultimately, driven mad by his conscience, he confesses to the crime, proving that inner turmoil can lead to the unravelling of one’s sanity.

Now, let's choose the second prompt related to Andy Grammer's song "Keep Your Head Up."

Understanding Task: Character Analysis

Character: Lemon Brown from "The Treasure of Lemon Brown"

Lemon Brown could have written the lyrics for Andy Grammer's song "Keep Your Head Up" because he embodies resilience despite the challenges he faces. Throughout the story, Lemon experiences hardship as a former blues musician, living in poverty and struggling to connect with his estranged son. Despite these challenges, he shows a strong spirit, emphasizing the importance of holding on to cherished memories and facing life bravely. He imparts wisdom to the young protagonist, Greg, encouraging him to value the intangible treasures of life over material possessions. This sentiment aligns beautifully with the message of "Keep Your Head Up," which emphasizes perseverance and optimism in the face of adversity. Brown’s ability to find strength in his past, despite the struggles he faces, exemplifies the song’s call to maintain hope and keep moving forward, no matter how difficult life may seem.

Feel free to let me know if there are any other prompts you'd like to explore or if you need further assistance!

You will choose 2 of the following tasks to respond to. Get your initial thoughts down, and THEN go back and make sure that you did your best thinking. Did you explain your understanding? Did you look further than the words on the page? Did you go beyond the surface? Do these instructions sound familiar? If so, good! We want to become skilled and developed writers who write our best thoughts.

LET'S WRITE

Mastery Task

Interpersonal Task

Choose one of the stories from our last 2 lessons ("Charles," "War of the Wall," or "The Bet") and choose another character besides the narrator, and write from his or her point of view. Rewrite a passage from the story of your choice and use the narrator's perspective to structure the passage in a different way. For example, if the story uses a flashback, you might want to tell the story in chronological order from the perspective of a secondary character.

Choose a song that reminds you of one of the characters or stories that we have read about in our last 2 lessons ("Charles," "War of the Wall," or "The Bet") and think about how the song is structured. Copy the lyrics and include a reference citation. Then you will create a written response:

- Write 2-3 sentences explaining how you connected the song with your character.

-Write 2-3 sentences explaining how the lyrics are structured. Does the song tell a story in chronological order? Does the song use flashback? Does the song have a chorus in between each verse?

-Write 2-3 sentences explaining why the structure of the song is effective.

Understanding Task

Self Expressive Task

Use a piece of text evidence from one of the stories from our last 2 lessons ("Charles," "War of the Wall," or "The Bet") to prove or disprove the following statement:

Time is responsible for all growth.

Use what you know about Laurie from "Charles," the narrator from "The War of the Wall," or the Banker from "The Bet" and write an apology letter to another character in the story. Don't forget to include similar word choice and tone. Remember the traits of the character who's perspective you are writing from. In your letter, include a peace offering. Create an image of the gift that you would like to share with the character you are writing to.

Return to top.

Evaluate
As we grow as writers, we want to be aware of the differences between our first thoughts and our best thoughts. You may begin to recognize patterns in your own writing as you differentiate between the two. Make a mental note of things you want to keep an eye out for when you are going back to make sure that you are sharing your best thoughts. Remember to dig a little deeper than what's on the SURFACE.

As a reminder, you are going to keep track of your responses and turn your TWO best responses in at the end of the unit. Your goal should be to create SIX strong responses and then narrow them down to the the two best of the best.

Here are responses to two of the tasks based on the stories "Charles" and "The War of the Wall." Each task includes an initial response followed by deeper reflection to ensure that thoughts extend beyond the surface.

Interpersonal Task: Perspective Shift in "Charles"

Passage from "Charles" from Laurie's Mother’s Perspective:

Laurie's mother sat at the kitchen table, the sunlight streaming through the window, illuminating the chaos of breakfast. She was absorbed in her thoughts when Laurie bounded in, full of energy and stories about his friend Charles. “Mom, you won’t believe what Charles did today!” he exclaimed, his eyes sparkling with mischief.

As she listened, her heart sank. Unbeknownst to Laurie, Charles was not just his unruly schoolmate; he was a reflection of their own son, mirroring his defiance and rebellion. “Charles sounds like a real troublemaker,” she replied, her mind racing. She wondered if she was failing to recognize the signs of Laurie’s changing behavior.

Laurie’s animated chatter turned the boy into a distant character in a story, but she felt an uncanny connection. The laughter at the breakfast table echoed her unease, for every bit of mischief claimed by Charles echoed in the carefree laughter of Laurie. Could it be that Laurie was more like Charles than she realized, experimenting with boundaries and testing the waters of independence?

Reflection: In this rewritten passage, I focused on capturing Laurie's mother’s internal conflict and growing concern. By shifting the perspective to her, I highlighted the idea that Charles is more than just a character in Laurie’s stories; he embodies Laurie’s struggles, making it more impactful. I emphasized emotions and thoughts that are often overlooked—how a parent perceives her child’s rebellion through stories, creating tension and foreshadowing Laurie's eventual revelation. This allows the reader to see the connection between mother and son, which adds depth to the narrative.

Self Expressive Task: Apology Letter from Laurie in "Charles"

Laurie’s Apology Letter:

Dear Teacher,

I hope this letter finds you well. I am writing to sincerely apologize for my behavior in class and any trouble I may have caused. I didn’t mean to disrespect you or disrupt the learning environment. I realize now how my actions not only affected you but also my classmates, and for that, I’m truly sorry.

In an effort to show my appreciation for your understanding and patience, I would like to propose a peace offering. I plan to bring in some homemade cookie treats for our next class. I hope you will enjoy them as a small token of my gratitude for your efforts in guiding us through our studies.

Thank you for being a great teacher, and I promise to do my best to improve my behavior moving forward.

Sincerely,
Laurie

Reflection: This letter captures Laurie’s youthful innocence while demonstrating his remorse and the growth he undergoes through the story. By using simple yet sincere language, I aligned Laurie's tone with that of a child looking to mend his relationship with authority. The peace offering of homemade cookies symbolizes innocence and is reflective of his desire to make amends in a tangible way. Crafting this letter allowed me to think critically about how Laurie perceives his role in the classroom and emphasizes the theme of accountability that runs throughout the story.

Feel free to share what you think or if you need any additional tasks completed!