Advanced Freshman English

1. Advanced Freshman English April 10 & 13, 2009 The Other Side of the River No Writer’s Notebook today. Please place your ch. 1-4 reading journal on your desk. Thank you 

2. Please write today’s agenda in your Time Tracker or assignment sheet. Thank you. AgendaApril 10 & 13 Objective: You will identify Kotlowitz’s purpose for a chapter of OSR and explain how that chapter’s purpose supports the purpose of the book as a whole. • Other Side of the River • Submit reading journals • Reading Quiz • Vocabulary • Chapter Purpose Group Exit Slip • Groups: McGinnis, St. Joseph, Benton Harbor • SSR if time allows (to make further progress on OSR reading assignment – this is a use it or lose it proposition). • HW: OSR ch. 5-9; reading journal

3. Vocabulary 1 • 1. precipitous—adj.—extremely steep; extremely rapid, hasty, or abrupt • 2. aplomb—n. great self-confidence; self-assuredness • 3. tacit—adj.— not spoken; implied by or inferred from actions or statements • 4. tantamount—adj.—equivalent in effect or value • 5. ornery—adj.— mean-spirited, disagreeable, and contrary in disposition; cantankerous • 6. macabre—adj.—suggesting the horror of death and decay; gruesome • 7. tenor—n.—a continuous, unwavering course

4. 8. untoward—adj.—not favorable; troublesome • 9. fetid—adj.— having an offensive odor • 10. nettled—v.— to irritate; vex • 11. ingratiate—v.—to gain favor with somebody by deliberate effort • 12. buttressed—v.— to sustain or bolster or support • 13. tinderbox—n.— a potentially explosive place or situation • 14. indefatigable—adj.— incapable or seemingly incapable of being fatigued; tireless • 15. assiduously—adv.—with care and persistence

5. Example Reading Journal Part I—General Summary • The body of Eric McGinnis, a 15-year-old, African-American Benton Harbor resident, is found floating in the St. Joseph River. His body is marked with suspicious bruises and marks around his neck, and his pants are unzipped and his shoes untied. It’s assumed initially that he drowned. However, many people, especially those from Benton Harbor, believe he was murdered. • The apparent differences between St. Joseph and Benton Harbor are discussed. St. Joseph is 95% white, has a population of about 9,000, and most of its residents are blue-collar workers at the local Whirpool Headquarters or are professionals. St. Joseph is also known to be a resort town.

6. General Summary (Cont.) • Benton Harbor is 92% black, has a population of 11,000, and most of its residents make ¼ the income of their counterparts in St. Joseph. It is known for its gang and drug problems. Money Magazine voted it the “Worst Place to Live” in 1989. • We learn more about the author, Alex Kotlowitz, and how he originally wrote a story about Eric’s death for the Wall Street Journal before becoming obsessed with the case and spending years conducting research for this book.

7. General Summary (Cont.) • We meet Detective Jim Reeves, the police officer assigned to solve Eric’s case, and learn he is determined to solve the case, but he has no experience with homicide cases, as this is his first. • We also learn that Jim Coburn, Eric’s uncle and a Benton Harbor police officer, identified Eric’s body and informed Eric’s mother, Ruth McGinnis, about his death. Eric was last seen at The Club in St. Joseph where his father dropped him off. Many people assume he was murdered, as it is mentioned that he was chased by a white man at some point that night.

8. Part II—List of Important People • Eric McGinnis—15 year-old energetic Benton Harbor resident who liked to dance; possible homicide victim. • Alex Kotlowitz—author of The Other Side of the River; journalist; conducted over 200 interviews and spent 5 years researching the McGinnis case. • Jim Reeves—St. Joseph Police Detective assigned to solve Eric’s case; known for his sense of humor and gentlemanly attitude; inexperienced with murder cases.

9. List of Important People (Cont.) • Jim Coburn—Eric’s uncle and a Benton Harbor policeman; identified Eric’s body at the morgue. • Ruth McGinnis—Eric’s mother; described as a cautious, private person; works as a supervisor at Modern Plastics and is presently the firm’s highest-ranking black employee. You may have some others listed, but generally, these are the most important!

10. Part III—Structural Analysis Sections that could have been included because they are not directly related to Eric’s case: • A 10-year old white girl falsely accuses a black man in a church of trying to abduct her. The story turned out to be false and apparently, the young girl lied simply because she wanted to move back to Minnesota. WHY WAS THIS INCLUDED?

11. Structural Analysis (Cont.) • Kotlowitz meets a young African-American boy on the side of the road when he is admiring a bird. The boy tells him the following regarding his thoughts on Eric’s death: “He got thrown in the river…he was dating a white girl.” WHY WAS THIS SECTION INCLUDED? (You could have chosen several others, but just make sure you are explaining Kotlowitz’s purpose for including them.)

12. Part IV—Your Personal Theory • It’s highly possible the Eric was murdered or the victim of foul play. Evidence that supports this is due to the fact that he was last seen in St. Joseph and was apparently chased by a white man although we do not yet have specific information about this incident. Also, it’s been rumored that Eric dated a white girl. This could have caused resentment by other whites or even blacks who disagreed with inter-racial dating and harmed him as a result.

13. Group Review Eric McGinnis: On the YELLOW body, please draw and describe aspects of Eric’s physical appearance and anything found on his body.  Label aspects of his personality.  List theories of his death. Include page numbers. (Look specifically at pages 2, 8, 23, 27-28, 36-38) St. Joseph:  On the WHITE body, please draw/provide information about St. Joseph, including population, race, economic facts, or how this community reacted to Eric’s death (names). Include page numbers. (Look specifically at pages 3-5, 13-14, and 21) Benton Harbor:  On the Brown body, please draw/provide information about Benton Harbor, including population, race, economic factors, or how this community reacted to Eric’s death (names). Include page numbers. (Look specifically at pages 4-5, 26, 29-35)