Congrats to You

I want to congratulate you all for completing the exam! No matter what score you receive, you are a winner! Studies show that simply sitting for the exam increases your chance of success in college--so TAKE THAT COLLEGE. You are all on your way and I hope you will remember me when...

Lauren

Homework for the week of April 27, 2009

Monday, April 27, 2009: In class, multiple choice practice
homework: work on scenes

Tuesday, April 28, 2009: In class, discuss multiple choice and analyze poem
homework: finish essay and bring in your typed scenes for Candido.

Wednesday, April 29, 2009:
In class: the actors will read your scripts
homework: finish your essay if you did not do so and bring in a poem to read aloud for Poem in Your Pocket Day...be ready to discuss the poem in literary terms using the steps we've learned to help us analyze a poem.

Thursday, April 30, 2009:
In class: Reading poems in class to honor the love of poetry.
Homework: Bring in your index cards about the works of literature you know

Friday, May 1, 2009:
In class: Review--open question practice
homework: Another essay practice! I know, I know.

Tips for Scene Writing

1) Try not to have too many characters. No more than four.
2) Write about something that is familiar to you.
3) Keep it simple.
4) It doesn't have to be chronological. Plays can jump forward or backward in time.
5) Dialogue! Remember there isn't a whole lot of descriptive writing. It's all stage directions and dialogue unless your character is singing or giving a vivid image of something he or she sees/has seen/ would like to see one day.
6) Turning point. Remember to focus on a play in which the character changes by the end of the piece.

HAVE FUN!

Homework for the Week of April 20, 2009

Tuesday: In class, we reviewed the AP sample multiple choice questions as well as the techniques to use when analyzing a poem. We discussed "La Belle Dame Sans Merci."
Homework: Prepare your scenes for Candido. You should write at least two scenes.

Wednesday: Candido comes to school.
Homework: You should work on your scenes

Thursday: Boys vs. Girls review for the AP examathon.
Homework: Please study your terms

Friday: In class timed essay practice and check-in to evaluate how to play it next week. Homework: TBD

Ruined Comparison Papers

For all those looking for a place to post their papers (like myself), I created a post to organize them so that Lauren wouldn't have to go hunting for them. Additionally, the whole blog stays organized, and there's no confusion. (Thank you sweet Admin privileges!)

Reflection: What kind of writer am I?

It is time to look at yourself in the mirror...well, sort of. Look at your writing, and the rubric we use in class to evaluate your writing. What are your strengths? Do you have a strong voice when you write? Does your personality come through on the paper? Or, in your quest to sound professional, are you sounding dry and formal? Do your sentences have strong verbs or do you find yourself using the passive voice too often? Do you structure your essay so that your argument grows ever more forceful, like a piece of music, reaching a crescendo and then resolving sweetly at the end? Or does it all sound the same? How are your conclusions? Your introductions? Are your sentences varied or are they all the identical length? Do you pause for effect? Make use of rhetorical questions? How often do you include descriptive adjectives and other modifiers---to make the words come alive on the page? What are your weaknesses? How is your grammar? Where would you like to see yourself go next (as a writer)? What do you have to do to get there?

Homework for the week of March 23, 2009

Monday, March 23, 2009
In class: you will take the SRI test and discover your lexile score.
Homework: Please bring ALL of your essays to class so that we can compile them.

Tuesday, March 24, 2009:
In class: Revision work and 1:1 conferences.
Homework: Reflective piece on your own writing.

Wednesday, March 25, 2009:
In class: MTC & trip!
Homework: Comparative reflective piece on reading vs. seeing the play

Thursday, March 26, 2009:
In class: Their Eyes Were Watching God Intro/discussion
Homework: Read to chapter 13. Revisions for Ruined are due--typed, MLA format

Friday, March 27, 2009:
In class: Discussion
Homework: Finish the novel

Discussion Questions for Ruined

1) Is there anyone in the play who escapes from some form of damage--either psychological, physical or both? Defend your answer with passages from the text.
2) How are birds used as symbols in the play? Defend your answer with passages from the text.
3) What is the climax of the play? Defend your answer.
4) Discuss the role of power in the play. Who has it, how does it shift, and why is it important?
5) how are women symbols of Africa? Defend your answer.
6) Which male character do you most sympathize with and why?
7) How are songs and poems used in the play? How do they help the play?
8) How would you relate the play to the expression, "the political is personal, the personal is political"?
9) Which female character do you sympathize the most with and why?
10) What is your favorite moment in the play? Why?

Syllogism Practice

1.
mp: All men are mortal
min p: Socrates was a man
conclusion: Therefore,

Is this syllogism true or false? Explain.

2.
mp: All weeds are plants
mp: The flower is a plant
con: Therefore, all weeds are flowers

Is this syllogism true or false? Explain.
--

3.
mp all terriers are dogs
min pr all dogs are mammals
con Therefore, all mammals are dogs

Is this syllogism true or false explain?

Homework for the Week of March 9, 2009

Monday, March 9, 2009:
In class: You will prepare discussion questions for a focused discussion of Ruined
Homework: Finish discussion questions and don't forget your permission slips!

Tuesday, March 10, 2009:
In class: We will discuss Ruined
Homework: Do some research on the Congo. Try to find an outline of the history of the country and some general ideas of what the wars were fought over.

Wednesday, March 11, 2009: In class: We will continue our discussion of Ruined as guided by our guest Candido from the Manhattan Theater Club.
Homework: Create your own topics for an essay and bring in a thesis statement based on your topic.

Thursday, March 12, 2009
In class: We will finish our discussion of the play and read your favorite scenes from the play.

Homework: Complete outlines of approved essay topics

Friday:
In class: You will perform your favorite scenes from the play
Homework: Read the first 100 pages of Their Eyes Were Watching God*** might change this depending upon the week. In-class essay test Monday, essay question practice on Tuesday.

Homework for the Week of March 2, 2009

Monday: It snowed, so everyone was off the hook!

Tuesday: In class exam, no homework tonight

Wednesday: In class, multiple choice practice, another homework free night! Woah.

Thursday, In class, syllogism, homework: read Act I of "Ruined," try a syllogism yourself.

Friday: In class, essay pointers and discuss Act I. Homework, revise essays and finish reading the play, prepare discussion questions.

Standard Paper Formats

MLA format? What? It stands for Modern Language Association and it is the most commonly used format in liberal arts colleges. It is used to help create standards for formatting papers--in other words so that all your Humanities teachers want the papers to look the same way --same font, same style, same conventions, etc. There is also an APA format often used in science writing. There is also the Chicago Style manuel used in journalism and publishing. If you are totally fascinated by this, you can learn more about it by visiting here

If you need an online web site which spells out all the rules for you, use this one.

There is a sample of what a first page should look like in addition to a whole host of other useful information. See the section on the right called "General Academic Writing" for lots of how-tos.

Essay Prompt for "The Storm,"

Write a well-organized essay in which you discuss which literary techniques Chopin uses in order to develop the emotional storm of the characters in the story. Some suggested tools are imagery, metaphor, and setting.

Short Story "The Storm"

"The Storm," By Kate Chopin, is a heaving-bosomed dramatic short story about a woman who has an extramarital affair. It is here for you to read online

For those of you wanting a little biographical information on Kate Chopin, you can find here.

10 Important Reminders

Things Fall Apart


Typed revisions due Friday with originals attached. Please adhere to MLA guidelines.

General Notes for Class:


1) Introductions—stick to your thesis statement. If you promise you are going to write about setting, imagery, and point of view, that’s what you need to write about. Don’t go off topic UNLESS you are using the subtopic as a means to prove your thesis statement.

2) Novels are underlined, short stories get “”quotations. A novel is “entitled.”

3) Not a bad idea to start off the intro with the quote and then paraphrase its meaning and then explain how it is related to TFA.

4) Avoid 2nd person pov when possible

5) Don’t be afraid to take a stand in your essay. This book has an agenda –to show you the African pov, don’t be afraid to vehemently articulate this.

6) Citations must be in the proper, MLA format. “ blah blah blah,” (Achebe, 62).

7) Try to neatly embed your support rather than an awkward insertion.

8) Pay attention to your verbs. If you are using lots of helping verbs,--there is a hint that your verbs aren’t strong enough.

9) Choose a tense and stick with it. Generally, the present tense is stronger.

10) Don’t forget to address the ambiguities and the complexities. Nothing is simply black and white in a text. Achebe is both a powerful warrior and a misogynist. The Christians destroyed a culture in the belief that they were “saving” it. Be sure to define your terms and the questions those terms may provoke.

Homework for the week of February 23, 2009

Monday:

In class, we will try to cover the major errors found in your essays. We will also show you a sample index card.
For homework, please update all of your index cards for any novels, poems, or plays you have read which might be applicable to the AP exam.

Tuesday:

In class, we will take an AP multiple choice test

For homework, you will grade yourselves and circle the answer explanations which you found to be the most helpful. Please also take the time to mark which questions were the hardest versus the easiest. Finally, label the TYPE of question each question represents--for example, theme question, definition question, grammar question, etc.

Wednesday:
In class, we will learn how to address syllogisms and how they work in the context of English and grammar.
For homework: Read Chopin's story, "The Storm," and the setting intro. Prepare discussion questions.


Thursday: In class, discussion of "The Storm,"
Homework: Essay outlines for practice timed essay test on Friday.

Friday: In class essay practice Revisions for TFA essay test due.

Weekend homework: Read O'Connor's, "A Good Man is Hard To Find," and answer study questions online.

Essay Topic for Things Fall Apart

Chinua Achebe repeats a great proverb that goes "until the lions have their own historians, the history of the hunt will always glorify the hunter." Write an essay illustrating how Things Fall Apart is an attempt to give the lions their say (to carry on with the metaphor).

Be sure to address the literary techniques the author uses as a means to convey the larger themes of the novel.

Want to brush up on your history to see what the Brits did and when? check out this entry on Nigeria

First Visit Response

Enter into the Village of Umuofia from the WMU Literary Worlds Portal. To simply visit Umuofia you can enter at a "Guest." Proceed first to the Things Fall Apart Room from which you can enter into the "Village Square."

You will want to visit every "room" in the village. For this it may be helpful to study the Village of Umuofia Map. You will also want to look at all of the objects and images in each "room." Learn how to use the "say" command."

Choose three images of people, places, or objects that interest you, carefully study them, and write at least a paragraph about each one. Your paragraph can address these questions:

What do you notice in the image? What questions do you have about what you see? What might be the "back story" to this image? How does the image compare with what you might have imagined from reading Things Fall Apart?
If you enter the Village of Umuofia at the same time as other students you can share your comments with them using the "say" command.

Some of the "rooms" or objects play traditional West African Music by Yaya Diallo.

What role does music play in the novel, Things Fall Apart? What can you learn from the internet about traditional African music? Do you like this kind of music? How has it influenced music around the world?

Homework for the Week of February 9-13, 2009

Monday:
In class: We will be discussing the role of the protagonist and his complexities.
For homework: 1) You need to complete the "FIRST VISIT" activity for the virtual world we will be exploring later this week. To do this, you need to click hereand click on the part that says "First Visit." This needs to be done by Wednesday. Send me about 300 words describing what you saw and did on your visit.
2) Prepare a list of quotes like the ones we saw in class today about women and men in the society. Look for quotes which illustrate the power in relationships--who holds it in what situation and why.

Tuesday:In class, we will be discussing the role of women and men in Things Fall Apart.

For homework: Prepare a list of quotes which illustrate the changes that occur in the tribe once the colonialists arrive. Be prepared to argue for positive and negative changes and to argue Achebe's perspective.

Wednesday: In class, we will discuss the end of the book and try to look at it as a whole.

For homework: 1) You must have finished your internet "First Visit" for our in class activity on Thursday.
2) Prepare quotes illustrating the best examples of Achebe's devices and how they help illuminate a Western reader's understanding of African tribal life.

Thursday: In class, we will go online to the virtual world of Things Fall Apart.

For Homework: Prepare your outlines for your in class essays.

Friday: In class, we will write an essay on the novel Things Fall Apart. Please note, students without COMPLETE outlines will automatically lose one letter grade from their essays.

Homework: 1) Bring in all the index cards you have created for class. These should include all your literary terms, vocabulary words as well as the review index cards for plays, poems, and finished works you might use on the exam.
2) Write the extract essay using the outline you were given on Tuesday. This will count as a test grade, so please edit it carefully.

Questions to Answer for Things Fall Apart

In the comments section, please answer the questions as requested below:

Chapter One: Katherine Joyce
1) What do you learn about Okonkwo's character and achievements in this chapter?
2) What do you learn about this father, Unoka? How was Okonkwo been affected by his father's character?

Chapter Two: Estefany Frias
1) What is Okonwo woken by at the beginning of the chapter?
2) Briefly explain the crisis that has occurred between Umuofia and the neighboring village of Mbaino.
3) How is the crisis resolved?
4. We learn on page 12 that Okonkwo's 'whole life was dominated by fear.' What is he afraid of?
5. What do we find out about Okonwo's family in this chapter?

Chapter Three: Christopher Fandino
1) Why did Unoka go to visit the Oracle of Agbala?
2) What message did he receive? Why is this important to our understanding of Okonkwo's character?
3) What do you learn about Okonkwo's early years as a farmer?

Chapter Four: Natalie Bloomfield
1) What is Okonkwo's attitude towards men who are less successful than him?
2) What do you learn about Ikemfuna's role within the Okonkwo's family?
3) What crime does Okonkwo commit during the Week of Peace?
4) Why is the Week of Peace an important custom in the community?
5) What punishment does Okonkwo receive for his actions?

Chapter Seven: Edward Torres:
1) How long has Ikemefuma lived with Okonkwo's family and what influence has his presence had upon them?
2) What warning does Ezendu give to Okonkwo on page 50?
3) What do you think of Okonkwo's actions in this chapter?
4) What effect does Ikemefuna's death have on Nwoye?

Chapter Eight: Frank Delgado
1) How does Okonkwo react to Ikemefuna's death?
2) What does Obierika feel about the part that Okonkwo played in the murder? What might this suggest about his character?
3) What do you learn about the customs involved in preparing for a wedding in this chapter?

Chapter Nine: Elizabeth Florencio:
1) Why is Ekwefi so worried when she discovers that Ezina is suffering from a fever?
2) What does the story of Ezina tell us about the customs and beliefs of the society?

Chapter Ten: Kyle Williams
1) What does this chapter show about justice in the community and the roles of men and women?

Chapter Eleven: Johnny Almonte Jr.
1) What is the message or moral of the creation story about the Tortoise and the birds? What is Ekwefi's purpose in telling the story?
2) How is the storytelling interrupted?
3) Read from page 91 to the end of the chapter. How does the writer create a sense of mystery in this description of Ekwefi's journey to Agbala's cave?
4) What different side of Okonkwo's character do we see in this chapter?

Chapter Thirteen (am I getting ahead of us?): Davian Reynolds
1) What rituals and customs are involved in Ezudu's funeral?
2) What crime does Okonkwo commit during the proceedings?
3) What punishment does he receive? Why is this necessary according to the beliefs of the tribe?

Homework for the Week of January 12-16

Monday,January 12, 2009:
In class: you will have an essay test for practice.
Homework: Read For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Enuf

Tuesday,January 13, 2009:
In class: We will discuss the choreopoem project
Homework: Write your first two choreo speeches.

Wednesday,January 14, 2009:
In class: You will share your choreopoem sections with your classmates and write a chorus scene together.
Homework: Write the next three choreo speeches

Thursday, January 15, 2009:
In class: You will share your choreo sections and start to put them together. Adding in the transitions and we will try to hear what sections are missing.
Homework: You should write three final sections and edit any sections discovered in class.

Friday, January 16, 2009:
In class: We will read the choreopoem aloud and evaluate it for success and where it could be improved.
Homework: Critical Analysis paper on Drama (additional handout for this Thursday).

Pardox in Action

check out the video on the auto industry on the bottom of the front page.

Short, Short Fiction Magical Mundane

Guildenstern uses the sighting of a unicorn to illustrate the nature of illu-
sion. A unicorn, mystical when it appears to one, becomes a horse with an
arrow in its head when seen by many.

Examine Guil’s premise that illusion ceases to be mystical when it becomes
the common experience. Drawing on experiences from your own life,
write a short, short story about the magical morphing into the mundane.

Hamlet's POV

King Claudius reunites Rosencrantz and Guildenstern with their old school
chum, his nephew, Hamlet. Hamlet welcomes them warmly, although he
suspects they are there to do his uncle’s bidding.

Write Hamlet’s diary entry about the meeting.

Syllogism Homework

Twice, Guildenstern uses a syllogism in an attempt to understand what
is happening concerning the unlikely coin toss and the royal summons.
A syllogism is a system of argument that employs a major and a minor
premise, and a logical conclusion based on the veracity of those premises.
For example: All humans will eventually die (major premise). You are a
human (minor premise). Therefore, you will eventually die (conclusion).
Construct your own syllogism to support your beliefs about a topic rel-
evant to the themes of Rosencrantz & Guildenstern are Dead.

Earliest Memory and Identity

The play opens on Rosencrantz and Guildenstern betting on a coin
toss. Guildenstern loses repeatedly, as Rosencrantz always calls heads.
Guildenstern displays his nervousness as he mutters about the laws of
probability. These characters obviously feel confused about who they
are and what they are doing. In a futile attempt to comprehend what is
happening, Guildenstern asks Rosencrantz to tell him the first thing he
remembers. Rosencrantz replies that he cannot remember, because “it was
so long ago.” Thus, Stoppard highlights the fact that much of one’s sense
of self comes from one’s memories.
Free write about your earliest memory. What role does it play in your
identity? Separate the memories suggested to you by relatives and friends
or family photos from events you clearly remember.

Homework for the week of January 5, 2009

Monday, January 5, 2009:
In class: We'll do an introduction to Absurdism.
Read the article on Theatre of the Absurd and answer the following questions:


1) What was the reaction to absurdist theater when it was first introduced and why?
2) What is the complex relationship between Theater of the Absurd and language?
3) What is the relationship between Theater of the Absurd and logic?
4) What are the goals of these plays (the desired impact for the audience?)

Tuesday, January 6, 2009:
In class: We'll start Act One in class to give you a sense of the absurdity. Finish Act One for homework and answer the journal question about early memories.


Wednesday, January 7, 2009:
In class: We'll discuss Act One in class.
Homework: Read Act Two and answer the question about Hamlet's POV

Thursday, January 8, 2009:
In class: We'll discuss Act Two. For homework, finish the play and follow the syllogism assignment


Friday, January 9, 2009:
In class: We'll discuss the end of the play and if there is time, we'll play the question game. For homework, write the short, short fiction piece.