Wed. May 31, 2017: Hamlet Act III

Today, we read Act III of Hamlet.

Tues. May 30, 2017: Hamlet Act III

Today, students wrote their Act II quiz on Hamlet. We then discussed the answers and moved on to reading Act III.

Mon. May 29, 2017: Hamlet Continued

Today, we read to the end of Act II. You will have an Act II Quiz tomorrow, and then we will start on Act III. We also picked the Act III roles today

Fri. May 26, 2017: Hamlet Cont.

Today, we read up to Act II, scene 2,  page 53.

Thurs. May 25, 2017: Hamlet Act II & Quiz

Today, you wrote a quiz on Act I. We then assigned roles and began reading Act II, scene I and stopped on line 50 on page 38.

Wed. May 24, 2017: Hamlet Continued

Today, we read the rest of Act I, scene two and

Tues. May 23, 2017: Hamlet: Act I, Scene II and III

Today, we read Act I, Scene II of Hamlet and part of Act I, Scene III.  We got to page 22, line 90 (up to where Laertes exits).

Tues. May 16, - Fri. May 19, 2017: Hamlet Introduction Continued

During these three days I presented a three Powerpoints discussing Shakespeare's personal history and historical time as well as a lesson in using iambic pentameter and explaining Shakespeare's purpose in using the style he wrote in. We started reading the play on Friday.
We read Act I, scene 1.

Mon. May 15, 2017: Hamlet Introduction

Today, you were given the reading "Hamlet: Prince of Denmark "Learning Stuff"" to read as well as questions to answer. These are due on Tuesday. If you were not here, come into the class early and get them from your portfolio.

Fri. May 12, 2017: Poetry Exam

Today, you wrote your poetry exam.

Thurs. May 11, 2017: Test Prep

Today, I went over what will be on tomorrow's poetry test. I am pasting this information below. If you miss the exam, there is an alternative exam you can write, but you won't get additional prepping for it.

Poetry Test: Test Prep Sheet (ELA B30)

In order to do well on the upcoming exam, you will need to study and apply the steps to reading poetry. On an exam, I will NOT mark you on questions, summary, purpose or topic so you will NOT need to demonstrate these. I WILL mark you on title analysis, rhyme scheme, stanzas, lines, punctuation highlight, layout anomaly identification, highlighting unknown words (though you will not be able to look them up; it still helps with identification), and highlighting and defining literary devices.

You will also need to know the following literary devices from your literary devices sheet:

Irony                                                   Paradox                                   Simile

Alliteration                                          Metaphor                                 Parallelism

Allusion                                               Metonymy                               Personification

Prolepsis                                              Onomatopoeia             Satire

Hyperbole                                           Oxymoron                               Pun

In addition, some of the following words may be unfamiliar to you (if they are, look them up and study them within the context of sentences):

Reinforce

Emphasize

Convey

Parallelism (parallel)

Contrast

Implication (implied, implies)

Paradox (paradoxical)

Pathos

Perception

Exhibitionist

Marvel

Metaphorically

illustrate

chaos

customariness

ineptitude

attainable

narrative

reflective

Wed. May 10, 2017: Poetry Assignment Completion

Today, you were given class time to complete your four poetry analysis and your visual for "An Old Man's Winter Night."

Tues. May 9, 2017: Poetry Assignment/working class

Today, you continued working on your poetry assignments. They are due at the end of class tomorrow. If something is missing from earlier, this is also the deadline point.

Wed. May 3, - Fri. May 5, 2017: Poetry Assignment Completion & New Assignments Presented

Today, students continued to work on the assignment relating to the poem "An Old Man's Winter Night." I then gave them the multiple choice questions to answer for this reading.
In addition, I allowed them to pick four poems from eight in which to analyze and answer multiple choice questions on in order to meet the requirement of minimum readings.These are to be completed by the end of class on Tuesday. If you were not here, the poems were randomly chosen for you and are in  your portfolio.
In addition, the major assignment for "An Old Man's Winter Night" is due by the end of the day today.

Tues. May 2, 2017: Major Poetry Assignment

Students are to check their portfolios. I have placed the assignment for today and tomorrow in their (an instruction sheet and the poem “An Old Man’s Winter Night.”

 They will also need 11x17 paper and pencil crayons (on my table to the left of my desk).

Here is the assignment:

The Bear

Part Two: Pages 79 – 202 Reading Questions

INSTRUCTIONS: These are reading questions. They are meant to help you understand the material and to be able to participate in the discussion. Your exams are based on your understanding of the text, which ties into these questions. I will provide a completion mark for each section. Be as detailed as you feel you need to in order to retain information for essays/exams. Do these on a separate sheet.

Chapter 10 (pages 79-88)

1.      What is the significance of Jessica in relation to the narrator?

2.      From the expository in this chapter, describe the narrator’s mom in literal terms.

3.      What is Stick’s most important need while on the boat?

4.      Why is it important for STICK that the narrator uses a “momma voice” at times?

5.      Why is Gwen so important to the narrator?

6.      According to Freud, our personalities are made up of three parts: The Id, The Ego, and the Superego. In this chapter, what does the narrator do that she normally wouldn’t as the Superego is no longer in charge? (wipe her snot on her sleave)

7.         What are Stick’s needs when he’s off the boat? How do you know this? (security: holdingnna’s hands)

8.      Why is the beaver “mad” at the kids?

9.      What act of empathy does Anna show towards her brother in relation to the beaver?

10.  What realization does Anna come to at the end of this chapter?

11.  In novels, a conflict arises and then rising action occurs (think of smaller moments of either coming closer to reaching or further from reaching a goal). In this chapter, what is the rising action that could have led to a failure to attain a positive outcome?

Chapter 11(pages 89 – 102)

1.      Anna shows empathy for her doll, but at this point, she does not show much to her brother. Why is this?

2.      What time of the day is it? How do you know this?

3.       Is Anna an introvert or extrovert? How do you know this?

4.      Stream of consciousness writing is when a person writes what they are thinking regardless of the thought. Anna engages in this. Describe one scene in which she gets away from what is actually going on and instead engages in stream of consciousness thought.

5.      In this chapter, the children seem happy. Why is this? How does it tie to the idea of the Superego?

6.      What is it about Barbie that concerns some parents?

7.      Read the following sentence: “I am bored I don’t know what we should do.”

What is wrong with this sentence? What are three different things you could do to fix it?

8.      Read the following sentence: “I need a leash and a piece of grass is long enough but it is hard to tie around the dog’s neck and my fingers won’t.” What is wrong with this sentence? How can it be fixed?

Chapter 12 (pages 103 – 108)

1.      How is the sun sneakier than Jessica?

2.      What rising action in this chapter threatens to make the children less secure?

Chapter 13 (pages 109 – 121)

1.      How are the children adapting to their environment and trying to meet their needs?

2.      Why is it that Anna cannot let Stick be right on factual issues?

Chapter 14 (pages 122 – 129)

1.      In this chapter, Anna locates some berries and leaves that remind her of mint. Based on the description, what could they be?

2.      When it comes to the Id, ones desires can be so strong that a person will not think of the impact of actions on others. How is Anna fighting her own Id in order to help her brother?

3.      In this chapter, there is a comment about how some of Stick’s actions might be “The sort of thing that might make daddy go away.” Some earlier comments like this also appear. If this is foreshadowing, what might it mean in Anna’s mind?

Chapter 15 (pages 130 – 135)

1.      How much time has passed since the kids were put in the Coleman?

·        

Mon. My 1, 2017: Poetry Introduction

Today, I handed you a sheet entitled "How to Read Poetry." It is in your portfolio if you were absent and I have also pasted it below.
We then analyzed the poem "Judge Selah Lively" so you have an exemplar of what a good formal analysis looks like. If you were not here, the poem is in your portfolio.
I then provided you with questions to answer using process of elimination. I have pasted these below. They are due at the start of  class tomorrow.

How to Read Poetry

1.                  Look at the title. Interpret what you THINK it means and write this down in one or two words on the page

2.                  Count the stanzas and write this number down at the bottom

3.                  Count the lines in each stanza and write this down at the bottom in brackets.

4.                  Do an end rhyme scheme for each stanza starting with “a”).

5.                  Determine if the poem is a “type” or if it is free verse (your introductory assignment will help with this).

6.                  Read the poem through highlighting punctuation to aid in reading (I use yellow).

7.                  Highlight unfamiliar words and define them on the page in your own words.

8.                  Read the poem again and highlight literary devices used (I use green).

9.                  Write down the device used on the side – also, if plausible, identify what it means (ie: allusion… to the bible)

10.              Read again and paraphrase the stanzas or thoughts.

11.              Determine who the speaker is

12.              Summarize the poem on the back

13.              Summarize the theme at the bottom (what is the message the author is trying to get across?)

JUDGE SELAH LIVELY

Suppose you stood just five feet two,

And had worked your way as a grocery clerk,

Studying law by candle light

Until you became an attorney at law?

5              And then suppose through your diligence,

And regular church attendance,

You become attorney for Thomas Rhodes,

Collecting notes and mortgages,

And representing all the widows

10            In Probate Court? And through it all

They jeered at your size, and laughed at your

        clothes

And your polished boots? And then suppose

You became the County Judge?

15            And Jefferson Howard and Kinsey Keene,

And Harmon Whitney, and all the giants

Who had sneered at you, were forced to stand

Before the bar[1] and say "Your Honor"-

Well, don't you think it was natural

20            That I made it hard for them?

Edgar Lee Masters (1868-1950)

American lawyer and writer

---

[1] The bar – the railing that encloses the area in which judges or lawyers sit in a courthouse

VII.     Read the poem and answer the following questions.

53.       In line 11, the word "They" refers to

A.    widows

B.    criminals

C.    grocery clerks

D.    other attorneys

54. The details that most directly suggest the reason for the speaker's resentment are

A.    "worked your way as a grocery clerk" (line 2) and   "They jeered at your size, and

         laughed at your / clothes" (lines 11-12)

B.    "Studying law by candle light" (line 3) and  "representing all the widows" (line 9)

C.    "you became an attorney at law" (line 4) and "You became the County Judge"

        (line 14)

D.    "through your diligence" (line 5) and  "Collecting notes and mortgages" (line 8)

55.       The speaker's use of the phrase "all the giants" (line 16) reinforces his perception

that the disadvantages he overcame were based on

           

A.    stature

B.    morality

C.    personality

D.    intelligence

56.       The use of the dash in line 18 serves to

A.    indicate a change in speakers

B.    emphasize the speaker's humility

C.    reinforce the speaker's doubt about his actions

D.    reinforce a shift of focus in the speaker's perspective

57.       The way that the speaker feels about his attainment of power is revealed in

A.   "Studying law by candle light / Until you became an attorney at law"

       (lines 3-4)

B.    "Collecting notes and mortgages, / And representing all the widows"

       (lines 8-9)

C.    "And then suppose / You became the County Judge" (lines 13-14)

D.    "Well, don't you think it was natural / That I made it hard for them"

                    (lines 19-20)

58.        The speaker suggests that his achievements are mainly the result of his

A.    overwhelming determination

B.    superior intelligence

C.    social acceptance

D.    physical skills

59.       The speaker in the poem is ultimately seeking

A.    love

B.    respect

C.    wealth

D.    wisdom