Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Holiday HW

Students are to read The Taming of the Shrew over the break and complete the following assignment:

Choose a scene from the play and provide a brief analysis of how Shakespeare creates humor. Consider the use of devices such as pun and malapropism.

Any students who did not receive a copy can access the etext through the link I have provided.

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Voice Thread

Students received an assignment using VoiceThread as well as their poetry blog requirements.

Go to http://voicethread.com/#home
I have a link on my blog.

Click on What’s a VoiceThread anyway?

Listen to the tutorial

Sign in to VoiceThread

Go to my VoiceThread at http://voicethread.com/#u299072.b811152.i4311609
I have a link on my blog.

Read my instructions and complete the assignment by January 20.

*let me know if you have any trouble viewing my assignment

Thursday, December 17, 2009

Poetry Essay

Pd 3 completed the following assignment:

1981 Poem: “Storm Warnings” (Adrienne Rich)
Prompt: Write an essay in which you explain how the organization of the poem and the use of concrete details reveal both its literal and its metaphorical meanings. In your discussion, show how both of these meanings relate to the title.
“Storm Warnings” by Adrienne Rich

The glass has been falling all the afternoon,
And knowing better than the instrument
What winds are walking overhead, what zone
Of gray unrest is moving across the land,
I leave the book on a pillowed chair
And walk from window to closed window, watching
Boughs strain against the sky

And think again, as often when the air
Moves inward toward a silent core of waiting,
How with a single purpose time has traveled
By secret currents of the undiscerned
Into this polar realm. Weather abroad
And weather in the heart alike come on
Regardless of prediction.

Between foreseeing and averting change
Lies all the mastery of elements
Which clocks and weatherglasses cannot alter.
Time in the hand is not control of time,
Nor shattered fragments of an instrument
A proof against the wind; the wind will rise,
We can only close the shutters.

I draw the curtains as the sky goes black
And set a match to candles sheathed in glass
Against the keyhole draught, the insistent whine
Of weather through the unsealed aperture.
This is our sole defense against the season;
These are the things that we have learned to do
Who live in troubled regions.


Pd 6 completed the following essay:

The poems below are concerned with darkness and night. Read each poem carefully. Then, in a well-written essay, compare and contrast the poems, analyzing the significance of dark or night in each. In your essay, consider elements such as point of view, imagery, and structure.

Acquainted with the Night
by: Robert Frost

I have been one acquainted with the night.
I have walked out in rain -- and back in rain.
I have outwalked the furthest city light.

I have looked down the saddest city lane.
I have passed by the watchman on his beat
And dropped my eyes, unwilling to explain.

I have stood still and stopped the sound of feet
When far away an interrupted cry
Came over houses from another street,

But not to call me back or say good-bye;
And further still at an unearthly height,
O luminary clock against the sky

Proclaimed the time was neither wrong nor right.
I have been one acquainted with the night.



We grow accustomed to the Dark

We grow accustomed to the Dark --
When light is put away --
As when the Neighbor holds the Lamp
To witness her Goodbye --

A Moment -- We uncertain step
For newness of the night --
Then -- fit our Vision to the Dark --
And meet the Road -- erect --

And so of larger -- Darkness --
Those Evenings of the Brain --
When not a Moon disclose a sign --
Or Star -- come out -- within --

The Bravest -- grope a little --
And sometimes hit a Tree
Directly in the Forehead --
But as they learn to see --

Either the Darkness alters --
Or something in the sight
Adjusts itself to Midnight --
And Life steps almost straight.

Emily Dickinson

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Poetry

Tomorrow the students will complete an essay on poetry. Today we discussed sound devices.

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Poetry

Today we discussed "Had I the Choice" and "To a Daughter Leaving Home" in small groups.

Monday, December 14, 2009

Poetry

Today we completed another multiple choice practice exam for poetry.

Thursday, December 10, 2009

Poetry

Today we discussed "The Oxen" and "Getting Out".

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Poetry Multiple Choice

Today the students completed a practice multiple choice poetry test. We will continue discussing poems from Sound & Sense tomorrow. Students are to read through chapter 14 by Friday.

Monday, December 7, 2009

Poetry

Today we discussed "Design", "The Oxen", and "Getting Out". Students are to read through chapter 14 by Friday.

Friday, December 4, 2009

Poetry

Today we discussed the poems from the essay as well as "To A Waterfowl".

Thursday, December 3, 2009

In class writing

The students completed the poetry essay from the 2007 exam. The poems are "A Barred-Owl" and "The History Teacher".

This link should take you there:
http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/ap/english_lit/samp.html?englit

(Or try the exam link on this blog)

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Poetry

Today we discussed the use of allusion in "in Just-" and "Miniver Cheevy"

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Poetry HW

In class we discussed "in the inner city" and began analyzing "in Just-" in small groups. Students received poetry analysis tables that are to be completed for the poem "Miniver Cheevy" for HW.

Monday, November 30, 2009

Poetry

Today we analyzed "Ozymandias" and "In the inner city" using various poetry analysis approaches.

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Happy Thanksgiving


Today we worked on "Ozymandias". Students are to read through chapter 11 of Sound & Sense over the weekend. We will continue analyzing poems next week.

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Poetry

Today the groups discussed the poem "The Chimney Sweepers". Each group was given a different strategy for poetry analysis to use. TWIST, DIDLS, SOAPSTone, SIFT

Monday, November 23, 2009

Poetry

Today we discussed the poems the students wrote about on Friday. Students are to read chapter 8 of Sound & Sense for HW.

Friday, November 20, 2009

Poetry essay

Students are to read chapter 7 of Sound and Sense for HW and bring in their essay prompts.

Pds 3 and 6 completed different essay prompts.

Pd 6 completed the following essay:
(Suggested time—40 minutes)

The following two poems present opposing views on euthanasia. Read the poems carefully. Then write an essay in which you compare and contrast the two poems, analyzing how each poet uses literary devices to make his point.


HOW ANNANDALE WENT OUT
"They called it Annandale--and I was there
To flourish, to find words, and to attend:
Liar, physician, hypocrite, and friend,
I watched him; and the sight was not so fair
As one or two that I have seen elsewhere:
An apparatus not for me to mend--
A wreck, with hell between him and the end,
Remained of Annandale; and I was there.
"I knew the ruin as I knew the man;
So put the two together, if you can,
Remembering the worst you know of me.
Now view yourself as I was, on the spot--
With a slight kind of engine. Do you see?
Like this. . . You wouldn't hang me? I thought not."
--E. A. Robinson


To the Mercy Killers
If ever mercy move you murder me,
I pray you, kindly killers, let me live.
Never conspire with death to set me free,
but let me know such life as pain can give..
Even though I be a clot, an aching clench,
a stub, a stump, a butt, a scab, a knob,
a screaming pain, a putrefying stench,
still let me live, so long as life shall throb.
Even though I turn such traitor to myself
as beg to die, do not accomplice me.
Even though I seem no human, mute shelf
of glucose, bottled blood, machinery
to swell the lung and pump the heart–even so,
do not put out my life. Let me still glow.
Dudley Randall (b. 1914)

Pd 3 completed the following essay:
1980 Poem: “One Art” (Elizabeth Bishop)
Prompt: Write an essay in which you describe how the speaker's attitude toward loss in lines 16-19 is related to her attitude toward loss in lines 1-15. Using specific references to the text, show how literary devices and language contribute to the reader's understanding of these attitudes.

One Art by: Elizabeth Bishop
The art of losing isn't hard to master;
so many things seem filled with the intent
to be lost that their loss is no disaster.

Lose something every day. Accept the fluster
of lost door keys, the hour badly spent.
The art of losing isn't hard to master.

Then practice losing farther, losing faster:
places, and names, and where it was you meant
to travel. None of these will bring disaster.

I lost my mother's watch. And look! my last, or
next-to-last, of three loved houses went.
The art of losing isn't hard to master.

I lost two cities, lovely ones. And, vaster,
some realms I owned, two rivers, a continent.
I miss them, but it wasn't a disaster.

---Even losing you (the joking voice, a gesture
I love) I shan't have lied. It's evident
the art of losing's not too hard to master
though it may look like (Write it!) like disaster.

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Poetry HW

We have spent the last 2 days discussing the poems "After Apple-Picking" and "To His Coy Mistress"

Students are to read chapter 6 of Sound and Sense for HW.

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Poetry HW

Students are to read chapter 5 of Sound and Sense.

Friday, November 13, 2009

Poetry

Today we discussed the poems that the students wrote about. Monday we will discuss poems from Sound and Sense.

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Poetry

Pd 3 completed the following essay:
(Suggested time—40 minutes)

The following two poems present opposing views on euthanasia. Read the poems carefully. Then write an essay in which you compare and contrast the two poems, analyzing how each poet uses literary devices to make his point.


HOW ANNANDALE WENT OUT
"They called it Annandale--and I was there
To flourish, to find words, and to attend:
Liar, physician, hypocrite, and friend,
I watched him; and the sight was not so fair
As one or two that I have seen elsewhere:
An apparatus not for me to mend--
A wreck, with hell between him and the end,
Remained of Annandale; and I was there.
"I knew the ruin as I knew the man;
So put the two together, if you can,
Remembering the worst you know of me.
Now view yourself as I was, on the spot--
With a slight kind of engine. Do you see?
Like this. . . You wouldn't hang me? I thought not."
--E. A. Robinson


To the Mercy Killers
If ever mercy move you murder me,
I pray you, kindly killers, let me live.
Never conspire with death to set me free,
but let me know such life as pain can give..
Even though I be a clot, an aching clench,
a stub, a stump, a butt, a scab, a knob,
a screaming pain, a putrefying stench,
still let me live, so long as life shall throb.
Even though I turn such traitor to myself
as beg to die, do not accomplice me.
Even though I seem no human, mute shelf
of glucose, bottled blood, machinery
to swell the lung and pump the heart–even so,
do not put out my life. Let me still glow.
Dudley Randall (b. 1914)

Pd 6 completed the following essay:
1980 Poem: “One Art” (Elizabeth Bishop)
Prompt: Write an essay in which you describe how the speaker's attitude toward loss in lines 16-19 is related to her attitude toward loss in lines 1-15. Using specific references to the text, show how verse form and language contribute to the reader's understanding of these attitudes.

One Art by: Elizabeth Bishop
The art of losing isn't hard to master;
so many things seem filled with the intent
to be lost that their loss is no disaster.

Lose something every day. Accept the fluster
of lost door keys, the hour badly spent.
The art of losing isn't hard to master.

Then practice losing farther, losing faster:
places, and names, and where it was you meant
to travel. None of these will bring disaster.

I lost my mother's watch. And look! my last, or
next-to-last, of three loved houses went.
The art of losing isn't hard to master.

I lost two cities, lovely ones. And, vaster,
some realms I owned, two rivers, a continent.
I miss them, but it wasn't a disaster.

---Even losing you (the joking voice, a gesture
I love) I shan't have lied. It's evident
the art of losing's not too hard to master
though it may look like (Write it!) like disaster.


Students are to bring these poems to class tomorrow for discussion.

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Poetry

Today students discussed the poems "Mirror" and "There's been a death in the opposite house" in small groups and then as a class.

Tomorrow students will complete an in class writing on poetry.

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Sound and Sense

Students are to read chapter 4 of Sound and Sense.

Thursday, November 5, 2009

Blogs are Closed

No more blogging! Stop it!

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Poetry HW

Students are to read chapter 3 of Sound and Sense.

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Poetry HW

Students are to read chapter 2 of Sound and Sense for HW.

Monday, November 2, 2009

Poetry HW

Students are to bring their completed quizzes in for discussion.

Students are to read chapter 1 of Sound and Sense for HW.

Friday, October 30, 2009

Literary Terms Project

Students are to complete the following assignment for Monday:

You will be given a literary term to teach to the rest of the class. You will NOT, however, be presenting this term. You must create some type of poster/collage that contains the following:

Definition
Example
Reason for use-what could an author accomplish by using this device
Images representative of the device



Analogy
Anaphora
Aphorism
Apostrophe
Archetype
Chiasmus
Connotation
Denotation
Doppelganger
Euphemism
Foil
Juxtaposition
Malapropism
Metonymy
Pathetic Fallacy
Synecdoche
Understatement


Also, Wednesday 11/4 will be the last day students can post to their blogs for the marking period. Novels that are to be covered are Anthem, We, and The Handmaid's Tale. I will close the blogs Thursday morning.

Thursday, October 29, 2009

Utopian Lit

Today we discussed the common threads tying together the utopian works we have read. We also took a little field trip observing the significance of environment.
We will conclude this discussion tomorrow.

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Essay

We will have an in-class essay tomorrow on The Handmaid's Tale.

Monday, October 26, 2009

The Handmaid's Tale

Today we broke up into small groups to discuss the following questions:

What is Atwood saying about the Church’s treatment of sexuality?

Why is there resentment between women? What is Atwood saying about relationships between women?

Why are the enemies of Gilead Baptists, Quakers, and Libertheos?

What is Atwood’s view of feminists? (Consider Offred’s mother)

What is the significance of the past in the novel? (Consider flashbacks and memories)


We then discussed our findings as a class. We will continue this discussion tomorrow.

Thursday, October 22, 2009

The Handmaid's Tale

Due to the fact that a majority of students will be on a field trip, tomorrow will be dedicated to working on blogs. Also, I have changed my mind again. Monday will be the final day of discussion of The Handmaid's Tale, pushing the essay to Tuesday.

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

The Handmaid's Tale

We will continue discussion of The Handmaid's Tale tomorrow. Please bring a question or item you would like to present for analysis.

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Passage analysis

Students are to score the sample essays I sent them home with.

We will discuss these along with The Handmaid's Tale tomorrow.

Monday, October 19, 2009

Passage Analysis-"The Other Paris"

Today we began discussing the passage analysis essay we completed last week. We will continue this discussion tomorrow and look at some sample essays.

Friday, October 16, 2009

The Handmaid's Tale

Students are to have the novel finished by Monday. This includes the historical notes.

Thursday, October 15, 2009

community building

today we discussed the classroom environment and what each student would like their experience in AP lit to be.

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

The Handmaid's Tale

Today we discussed several items from the novel.

Pd 3 must complete the following assignment for HW.

look up the definition for each of the following and provide a written connection to the novel:

larynx
valance
quince
zygote
limp
gorge
prolix
quartz
quandry
slyph
rhythm

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

The Handmaid's Tale

Today we discussed items through page 200 of the novel. Students also completed a progress report for me.

Students are to finish the novel by 10/19.

Friday, October 9, 2009

The Handmaid's Tale

Students should be prepared to discuss the first 200 pages of the novel on Tuesday 10/13.

Thursday, October 8, 2009

Passage Analysis

Today I provided the students with some notes on preparing for the passage analysis essay. These included tips and strategies for success. Students then read a sample passage. I asked them to write what they feel the narrator's attitude towards the characters is. They should then compare it to the sample essays provided.

Students will complete an in-class essay tomorrow.

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

The Handmaid's Tale

Today we discussed the faith pillow and the connotation and denotation of "undone" "choose" "lie" "lay" and specific sentences in the novel.

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

The Handmaid's Tale

Yesterday and today we discussed the following items in The Handmaid's Tale:

The ceremony
Serena Joy
book burning ritual
the use of "choose" "undone" "speechless"

Friday, October 2, 2009

Biblical Allusions

Today the students presented their allusions and took notes.

Students are to read to page 200 of The Handmaid's Tale by Friday of next week.

Thursday, October 1, 2009

Biblical allusions

Students finished working on their presentations in class today. They will begin presenting and taking notes tomorrow.

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Biblical Allusions

Today the students began researching different biblical allusions. They are working in small groups and creating brief PowerPoint presentations.

The Garden of Eden
Cain and Abel
Noah and the Flood
The Tower of Babel
Destruction of Sodom
Abraham and Isaac
Jacob's Dream
Jacob and Esau
Rachel and Leah
Joseph and his brothers
Joseph in Egypt
The Marriage of Isaac
Rescue of the child Moses
Passage of the Red Sea
The Burning Bush
Plagues of Egypt
David and Goliath
Absalom's Rebellion
DavidandJohnathon
David Bath-Sheba
Soloman's Wisdom
Soloman's Temple
The Queen of Sheba
Nebuchadnezzar's Dream
Daniel in the Lion's Den
The Fiery Furnace
The Writing on the Wall

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Passage Analysis

Today we broke down the passage that the students wrote about last week. They received their papers and were able to analyze their strengths and weaknesses.

Monday, September 28, 2009

We-essay

Students completed the following essay in class today:
(Suggested time—40 minutes.) 30pts

In Kate Chopin’s The Awakening (1899), protagonist Edna Pontellier is said to possess “that outward existence which conforms, the inward life which questions.” In a novel or play that you have studied, identify a character who conforms outwardly while questioning inwardly. Then write an essay in which you analyze how this tension between outward conformity and inward questioning contributes to the meaning of the work. Avoid mere plot summary.

You MUST select a work from the list below.

We
You
I
They

Students also must bring the Mary Barton passage exam prompt to class tomorrow.

Friday, September 25, 2009

We-The Handmaid's Tale

Students were given copies of The Handmaid's Tale and are to read the first 100 pages by Thursday of next week.

We also concluded our discussion of We. Students will complete an in class essay on Monday.

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Multiple Choice

Today we studied the different types of MC questions and took another sample test.

Remember to have We completed for tomorrow.

Monday, September 21, 2009

Multiple Choice

Today the students had their first encounter with the multiple choice section. We did a small sample section which was not graded. We will look at some strategies for success tomorrow.

Friday, September 18, 2009

We

Today we broke into small groups to discuss the following items from We:
The Green Wall
Prometheus
Irrational root
Lily of the Valley

Students are to finish reading the novel by Wednesday 9/23.

Thursday, September 17, 2009

We

We began our discussion of We today. Some of the items discussed were p.o.v, imagery, and symbols. ex. the green wall, glass city, the Benefactor.

We will continue this discussion tomorrow.

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Passage Analysis Essay

The students completed an in-class writing today based on a passage. The passage is from Mary Barton and is on the 2004 (form B) exam. It is worth 30pts. It can be found on the college board website. Click Exam to go there.

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Essays

Today we discussed student essays based on the passage we analyzed yesterday. There will be an in-class writing tomorrow.

Monday, September 14, 2009

Passage Analysis

Today we discussed a passage from Johnny Got His Gun. If you were absent you can access it through the college board website. It is the 2007 exam.

Friday, September 11, 2009

We-The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas

Students received copies of We today and are expected to read through page 109 by Thursday 9/17.

In class we read the short story The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas by Ursula K. Le Guin. I have provided a link to the story. Our focus was on tone, diction, metaphor.

Thursday, September 10, 2009

Fahrenheit 451 Essay

The students completed the following essay in class today:



30pts

A symbol is an object, action, or event that represents something or that creates a range of associations beyond itself. In literary works a symbol can express an idea, clarify meaning, or enlarge literal meaning.

Select a novel or play and, focusing on one symbol, write an essay analyzing how that symbol functions in the work and what it reveals about the characters or themes of the work as a whole. Do not merely summarize the plot.

You MUST choose one of the following works:

Fahrenheit 451
Fahrenheit 154


If you are absent, you are expected to make every effort to complete this task.

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Essays

Today we read through some sample essays. Some good, some not so good. Students will be writing their own on Fahrenheit 451 tomorrow.

Friday, September 4, 2009

Anthem

Students received copies of Anthem to read over the weekend. I have also provided a link to an etext version of the novel. Be prepared to discuss possible connections between Anthem and Fahrenheit 451 on Tuesday.

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Welcome

Welcome AP Lit students 09-10.

Monday, May 11, 2009

Final Project

Final Exam
2008-2009
AP Literature
Mr. Klimas

Part I-
The AP Literature Wiki project. 100pts

This project will be your legacy. Every AP Literature class from now until the end of time will be responsible for completing this project and adding to it.

For this assignment you will use all of the skills that we have practiced this year. You are responsible for providing a scholarly literary criticism for each of the works you have chosen to read. This is NOT a research assignment. This is NOT a review. The goal is that other students will be using your work as a source for their research assignments. This project will be published and will be a permanent fixture on both my blog and the Library/Resource Center webpage.

You will be responsible for the following:

read 2 works by the author of your choice
write a scholarly criticism of each work
post it on the High Point Regional High School Guide to Contemporary Literary Criticism Wiki.

Your criticisms must include:

title stating concept and novel title
an abstract describing the thesis
scholarly criticism/analysis of the work
passages
a point/argument
the skills we focused on during class
your knowledge of the author/context/literature/the world


At the end of each criticism, you are to include your initials and the year you wrote it. Ex. (A.B. 2009) Again, this is permanent. You can view your criticisms when you are old and gray like me. Your kids will be able to view them.

http://apliteraturehp.wikispaces.com/







Part II-

Presentation-100pts

You will present your literary criticisms. You must display your wiki and outline the main points of your essays. All major aspects of the criticisms must be presented. You must also discuss the entire process or experience, including what interesting discoveries you made along the way. You will be assessed both on the content and the delivery of your presentation.

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Invisible Man

Students are to read through chapter 11 by Friday.

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Spring Break HW

Read the prologue and chapters 1-7 of Invisible Man.

You must also complete the following assignment:

1999 Poem “Blackberry-Picking” (Seamus Heaney)
Prompt: Read the following poem carefully, paying particular attention to the physical intensity of the language. Then write a well-organized essay in which you explain how the poet conveys not just a literal description of picking blackberries but a deeper understanding of the whole experience. You may wish to include analysis of such elements as diction, imagery, metaphor, rhyme, rhythm, and form.


I have provided a link to the poem. You can listen to the poet read his work.

Blackberry-Picking by: Seamus Heaney
Late August, given heavy rain and sun
For a full week, the blackberries would ripen.
At first, just one, a glossy purple clot
Among others, red, green, hard as a knot.
You ate that first one and its flesh was sweet
Like thickened wine: summer's blood was in it
Leaving stains upon the tongue and lust forPicking.
Then red ones inked up and that hunger
Sent us out with milk cans, pea tins, jam-pots
Where briars scratched and wet grass bleached our boots.
Round hayfields, cornfields and potato-drills
We trekked and picked until the cans were full
Until the tinkling bottom had been covered
With green ones, and on top big dark blobs burned
Like a plate of eyes. Our hands were peppered
With thorn pricks, our palms sticky as Bluebeard's.
We hoarded the fresh berries in the byre.
But when the bath was filled we found a fur,
A rat-grey fungus, glutting on our cache.
The juice was stinking too. Once off the bush
The fruit fermented, the sweet flesh would turn sour.
I always felt like crying. It wasn't fair
That all the lovely canfuls smelt of rot.
Each year I hoped they'd keep, knew they would not.

Friday, April 3, 2009

HW

Students are to read chapters 13 & 14 of Sound & Sense over the weekend.

Thursday, April 2, 2009

HW

Students are to read chapter 12 of Sound & Sense for HW

Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Sound and Sense

Students should read through chapter 10 by today.

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

HW

Students are to read Sound & Sense chapter 6 and respond to the questions for the following poems:

#66-Fire and Ice
#71-Our journey had advanced

Monday, March 16, 2009

HW

Students are to read Sound & Sense chapter 4 and respond to the questions for the following:

#38-After Apple-Picking

Friday, March 13, 2009

HW

Students are to read chapter 3 of Sound & Sense and complete the questions for the following poems:

#26-Naming of Parts
#27-Cross
#29-Eldorado

Thursday, March 12, 2009

HW

Students are to read chapter 2 of Sound & Sense and answer the questions for the following poems:

#17-There's been a death in the opposite house
#18-When in Rome
#21-Mirror

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Sound and Sense

Students are to read pgs 3-10 of Sound and Sense.

Friday, March 6, 2009

Poetry HW-Monday

Students are to bring in their favorite poem and 3 reasons why they like it.

Thursday, February 26, 2009

Macbeth-free response

One of the strongest human drives seems to be a desire for power. Write an essay in which you discuss how a character in a novel or drama struggles to free himself or herself from the power of others or seeks to gain power over others. Be sure to demonstrate in your essay how the author uses this power struggle to enhance the meaning of the work.

You MUST choose one of the following:
Macbeth
Macbeth II: The Witches' Revenge
Macbeth III: Mad Macduff
Macbeth IV: Tale of the Drunken Porter-in 3D
Macbeth V: The Final Chapter
Macbeth VI: The New Blood
Macbeth VII: Blood Harvest
Macbeth VIII: The New Final Chapter

Friday, February 20, 2009

Hamlet/Macbeth


Students are to finish reading both Hamlet and Macbeth by Monday 2/23.




All Hail Plankton!

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Macbeth

Students are to read through Act III of Macbeth for tomorrow.

Friday, February 13, 2009

Macbeth/Hamlet HW

Students are to read through Act II of Macbeth for Wednesday 2/18.
Students are to read all of Hamlet by Monday 2/23.

Also, be sure to vote for the best reading of Act I, scene 1 of Macbeth.

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Macbeth HW

Students are to complete the following assignment for tomorrow:

Macbeth Act I, scenes 1-5
As you read keep track of all of the literary elements you come across. Provide the example and an explanation as to what it adds to the scene. You should have an example/explanation for each of the following:

Paradox
Foreshadowing
Simile
Synecdoche
Allusion
Repetition
Mood
Tone
Metonymy
Metaphor

Monday, February 9, 2009

Passage analysis

Students will complete a passage analysis paper tomorrow.

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

Literary Terms

Students are currently presenting their literary terms.

Monday, January 26, 2009

Monday, January 19, 2009

Henry V

Students are to be finished with Henry V by Thursday.

Thursday, January 15, 2009

The Importance of Being Earnest-Field Trip

The trip for today has been postponed. I am currently working on planning an alternate date. There is a possibility we could go next Thursday after the final Mid-term exam. We will discuss our options in class tomorrow.

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Henry V

Students were given copies of Henry V today. They are to read them by Wednesday 1/21. Keep in mind the difference between a hero and a villain. (Henry/Richard)

Oedipus the King essay

The students completed the following assignment in class on Tuesday:

In many plays a character has a misconception of himself or his world. Destroying or perpetuating this illusion contributes to a central theme of the play. Choose a play with a major character to whom this statement applies, and write an essay in which you consider the following:

  • What the character’s illusion is and how it differs from reality as presented in the play;
  • How the destruction or perpetuation of the illusion develops a theme of the play.

Do not merely retell the story.

You MUST choose one of the following works:

Oedipus the King

Monday, January 12, 2009

Richard III

Students are to finish reading Richard III by Wednesday.

Friday, January 9, 2009

Richard III

Students are to read through Act IV of Richard III by Monday.

Richard III-Coronation speech

Thursday, January 8, 2009

Richard III

Students are to read Act II of Richard III for HW.

Tuesday, January 6, 2009

Richard III Hw

Students are to finish reading through Act I of Richard III for HW.