Kafka's Metamorphosis Project

OK, friends! I know that you have all spent time curled up beside the lights of the Christmas tree, reading about Gregor and his Bug Life. I know that the pamphlet wasn't too much and now you are ready for an assignment! Well, I've spent a lot of time on this break (all kidding aside) reflecting on what I want you to get from this book and this project and what would be the best assignment for you. It came to me like a lightning bolt in the middle of the night last night! So.... here you go.  It's in three parts and before you panic, the entire assignment should not take you longer than about 3-4 hours, total. Probably less. OK?  Not only that, I am not making it due until the Friday after we come back to school so.... for those of you who either choose to or NEED TO delay your work until we are back on schedule, you have that option.

DUE DATE: FRIDAY, JANUARY 9

Part 1: Shrinklit Poem

I haven't assigned this for a few years and I LOVED it when we did them before. Essentially, it's a 12 line rhyming poem that sums up a book. You will need to detail the plot but also address theme, tone, and characters. They are typically humorous, if only because they condense an entire book into twelve lines.
Your best bet is to first write a summary, then decide which pieces are most important. Take those pieces and work them into your poem.

Below is a great example of a Frankenstein ShrinkLit:

Frankenstein
Mary Shelley
In his occult science lab Frankenstein creates a flab
Which, endowed with human will
Very shortly starts to kill.
First, it pleads a lonely life
And demands a monster-wife;
“Monstrous” Frankenstein objects,
Thinking of the side-effects.
Chilled with fear, he quits the scene,
But the frightful man-machine
Follows him in hot pursuit
Bumping people off en route,
Till at last it stands malign,
By the corpse of Frankenstein!
Somewhere in the northern mists
Horrid thing – it still exists. . .
Still at large, a-thirst for gore!
Got a strong lock on your door?
~ Maurice Sagoff

Part 2: Let Your Creativity Run Wild!

I want a creative project over the book. The important piece here is that you don't just illustrate the events of the novel but convey the message, the deeper complexities, any author information you have, etc.. I am including some ideas for you that I found on Pinterest below. You will include an index card explanation with your project and that will be almost as weighted in the grade as the creative project itself. Options are a book cover, a tshirt, a poster, a graphic design, a repurposed book, a 3-D display, a diorama, it's as wide as your mind!!!
All images below are courtesy of Pinterest...
Examples:

Part 3: AP Style Essay Question with an answer outline

You know the drill. Write a fantastic essay question, AP style and caliber, over Kafka's Metamorphosis. Then give me a brief outline of what you would expect in the answer.

That's it! And you get to start the new semester with an easy grade! WIN-WIN! :) 

Missing you all over this break and I am very excited to see you on the first day back!!!

Week of 12/15

I am only going to get to see you ONCE this week!!!! Thank you, more than I can even express, for a great first semester. You are wonderful people and I am so thankful I get to be part of the last year of your educational journey. :)

Monday, 12/15
Panel presentations
All ME Novel work due

Tuesday, 12/16
All with Coach Renshaw

Wednesday, 12/17
All with Coach Renshaw
Toolbox due

Thursday, 12/18
Coach Renshaw's exam
Portfolio due

Week of 12/8

This is going to be a wild week, so hang on and enjoy the ride. I am very excited about the fact that you all are all going to be together for the ME Novel unit. I think it's going to be a great experience for all of us.

Monday - 1, 3, 2
Tuesday - 1, 2, 4
Wednesday - 1, 3, 4
Thursday - 2, 3, 4
Friday - Regular schedule

Monday, 12/8
Whole two hours with Coach Renshaw

Tuesday, 12/9
ME Novel
Whole two hours with me (everyone)
Quiz
Structured activities

Wednesday, 12/10
ME Novel
Whole two hours with me (everyone)
Structured activities

Thursday, 12/11
No 2nd period

Friday, 12/12
Journals due (can turn in at some point during the day or on Monday)
All with Renshaw

Sonnet Annotation Activity

Step 1: Pick a sonnet. It does not have to be written by Shakespeare (or Petrarch), but it DOES need to fit the sonnet form and be a well-written poem. The websites below will help you come up with one. Do NOT take too long to find one, but DO select a sonnet that you like and understand.

Shakespearean

Other sonnets (click on the poet's name and it will take you to that page, then you can click on sonnets written by that poet)

Step 2: Annotate the sonnet using the comments feature of the word processing program. First, copy and paste the sonnet into the document (including title and poet). Next, break it apart (the longer version of what you will do during the AP test on the poetry question), making notes and analysis. The websites below will help in this process. I am hoping we all know how to use the comments feature because I couldn't find a website with a tutorial for whatever generic version of word processing is on these machines...

Annotation Guides

Mr. Prestney, whom you probably wish was your teacher...

A wiki with a great example of what an annotated poem LOOKS like...

If that link doesn't work from school, here is another link.

Nuggets from the Frankenstein Seminar

I just wanted to share these two nuggets I recorded from the Frankenstein seminar. From group 1, someone said that, for the monster, "his anger is the bricks and how people treat him is the mortar". From group 2, when discussing the creation of the monster by Victor, it was mentioned that he was consumed with "the mathematics, not the humanity of it". WOW.

Allusions Week 2

Swiftian
Pandora's Box
Frankenstein
Cain
Pyrrhic victory
Samson and Delilah
Lilliputian
Yahoo
Machiavellian
Utopia

Week of 12/1

We are going to be working with sonnets all week this week, as you read your Middle Eastern novels outside of class. I am a sucker for a sonnet (really any poetry) and I hope you are too.

Monday, 12/1
Sonnets
Allusions 2 up on blog

Tuesday, 12/2
Sonnets

Wednesday, 12/3
Computer Lab-annotate a sonnet

Thursday, 12/4
1-TT
2-AP Practice

Friday, 12/5
Sonnet AP Question
Allusions 2 Quiz

Satire Homework over Break

I forgot to number you off on Friday, so just pick ONE on which to do the homework!!!!!

AP Frank Assignment, Monday, 11/17

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

Open-ended Prompts for AP English Literature & Composition Exam, 1970-2012

(Assignment credit to http://moellerlit.weebly.com/class-blog/q1c21-frankenstein-biotech)

Instructions: Create an argument that establishes the best three essay prompts to use for our in-class essay from the list of past AP Exam essay prompts below. I will give you a grade on how well you argue your selections in approximately 5-7 sentences.  

1. Read thoroughly the list of “AP Open-ended Prompts” I gave you at the beginning of the year. Listed on this post are several more recent ones you can use as well.
2. Then choose three of these questions that you believe would appropriately apply to Frankenstein. In
other words, you’re looking for three prompts that students should be able to write an essay about if
Frankenstein were used as the text.
3. Rewrite each of your three chosen prompts so that they refer directly to Frankenstein.
4. After each of these rewritten prompts write 5-7 justifying your decision. Be sure to answer the two
following questions: Why is Frankenstein an appropriate text to use for this prompt? How might a student writer respond to this prompt? (Think in terms of how you might craft a successful thesis statement.)

See the following for an example of what I am looking for. The example is from Doctor Faustus:
1999 AP Prompt Re-written
From The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus, choose a character whose mind is pulled in conflicting directions by two compelling desires, ambitions, obligations, or influences. Then, in a well-organized essay, identify each of the two conflicting forces and explain how this conflict with one character illuminates the meaning of the work as a whole.
Justification:
This topic reflects a central theme of the play, as the protagonist, Dr. Faustus, is essentially torn between being a moral, God-fearing citizen and an instrument of the devil. This classic good-versus-evil conundrum is reflected in the characters of the Good and Bad Angels, personifying the temptation and providing solid evidence for a paper. Other supporting characters such Dr. Faustus’s fellow scholars add complexity to the conflict, while the plot is constantly being furthered because of the struggle. Creating a paper that describes how the conflicting forces add meaning to the work becomes simple when we consider the central themes of the story, Dr. Faustus’s tragic flaw, and the usage of temptation to further the plot and teach a lesson to the reader. 

2002. Morally ambiguous characters -- characters whose behavior discourages readers from identifying them as purely evil or purely good -- are at the heart of many works of literature. Choose a novel or play in which a morally ambiguous character plays a pivotal role. Then write an essay in which you explain how the character can be viewed as morally ambiguous and why his or her moral ambiguity is significant to the work as a whole. Avoid mere plot summary.
2002, Form B. Often in literature, a character’s success in achieving goals depends on keeping a secret and divulging it only at the right moment, if at all. Choose a novel or play of literary merit that requires a character to keep a secret. In a well-organized essay, briefly explain the necessity for secrecy and how the character’s choice to reveal or keep the secret affects the plot and contributes to the meaning of the work as a whole. You may select a work from the list below, or you may choose another work of recognized literary merit suitable to the topic. Do NOT write about a short story, poem, or film.
2003. According to critic Northrop Frye, “Tragic heroes are so much the highest points in their human landscape that they seem the inevitable conductors of the power about them, great trees more likely to be struck by lightning than a clump of grass. Conductors may of course be instruments as well as victims of the divisive lightning.” Select a novel or play in which a tragic figure functions as an instrument of the suffering of others. Then write an essay in which you explain how the suffering brought upon others by that figure contributes to the tragic vision of the work as a whole.
2003, Form B. Novels and plays often depict characters caught between colliding cultures -- national, regional, ethnic, religious, institutional. Such collisions can call a character’s sense of identity into question. Select a novel or play in which a character responds to such a cultural collison. Then write a well-organized essay in which you describe the character’s response and explain its relevance to the work as a whole.
2004. Critic Roland Barthes has said, “Literature is the question minus the answer.” Choose a novel, or play, and, considering Barthes’ observation, write an essay in which you analyze a central question the work raises and the

5 AP Prompts for Sir Gawain Mr. Rose

extent to which it offers answers. Explain how the author’s treatment of this question affects your understanding of the work as a whole. Avoid mere plot summary.
2004, Form B. The most important themes in literature are sometimes developed in scenes in which a death or deaths take place. Choose a novel or play and write a well-organized essay in which you show how a specific death scene helps to illuminate the meaning of the work as a whole. Avoid mere plot summary.
2005. In Kate Chopin’s The Awakening (1899), protagonist Edna Pontellier is said to possess “That outward existence which conforms, the inward life that questions.” In a novel or play that you have studied, identify a character who outwardly conforms 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.
2005, Form B. 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 a 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.
2006. Many writers use a country setting to establish values within a work of literature. For example, the country may be a place of virtue and peace or one of primitivism and ignorance. Choose a novel or play in which such a setting plays a significant role. Then write an essay in which you analyze how the country setting functions in the work as a whole.
2006, Form B. In many works of literature, a physical journey - the literal movement from one place to another - plays a central role. Choose a novel, play, or epic poem in which a physical journey is an important element and discuss how the journey adds to the meaning of the work as a whole. Avoid mere plot summary.
2007. In many works of literature, past events can affect, positively or negatively, the present activities, attitudes, or values of a character. Choose a novel or play in which a character must contend with some aspect of the past, either personal or societal. Then write an essay in which you show how the character’s relationship to the past contributes to the meaning of the work as a whole.
2007, Form B. Works of literature often depict acts of betrayal. Friends and even family may betray a protagonist; main characters may likewise be guilty of treachery or may betray their own values. Select a novel or play that includes such acts of betrayal. Then, in a well-written essay, analyze the nature of the betrayal and show how it contributes to the meaning of the work as a whole.
2008. In a literary work, a minor character, often known as a foil, possesses traits that emphasize, by contrast or comparison, the distinctive characteristics and qualities of the main character. For example, the ideas or behavior of a minor character might be used to highlight the weaknesses or strengths of the main character. Choose a novel or play in which a minor character serves as a foil for the main character. Then write an essay in which you analyze how the relation between the minor character and the major character illuminates the meaning of the work.
2008, Form B. In some works of literature, childhood and adolescence are portrayed as times graced by innocence and a sense of wonder; in other works, they are depicted as times of tribulation and terror. Focusing on a single novel or play, explain how its representation of childhood or adolescence shapes the meaning of the work as a whole.
2009. 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

6 AP Prompts for Sir Gawain Mr. Rose

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.
2009, Form B. Many works of literature deal with political or social issues. Choose a novel or play that focuses on a political oe social issue. Then write an essay in which you analyze how the author uses literary elements to explore this issue and explain how the issue contributes to the meaning of the work as a whole. Do not merely summarize the plot.
2010. Palestinian American literary theorist and cultural critic Edward Said has written that “Exile is strangely compelling to think about but terrible to experience. It is the unhealable rift forced between a human being and a native place, between the self and its true home: its essential sadness can never be surmounted.” Yet Said has also said that exile can become “a potent, even enriching” experience. Select a novel, play, or epic in which a character experiences such a rift and becomes cut off from “home,” whether that home is the character’s birthplace, family, homeland, or other special place. Then write an essay in which you analyze how the character’s experience with exile is both alienating and enriching, and how this experience illuminates the meaning of the work as a whole. Do not merely summarize the plot.
2010, Form B. “You can leave home all you want but home will never leave you.” -- Sonsyrea Tate
Sonsyrea Tate’s statement suggests that “home” may be conceived of as a dwelling, a place, or a state of mind. It may have positive or negative associations, but in either case, it may have a considerable influence on an individual. Choose a novel or play in which a central character leaves home, yet finds that home remains significant. Write a well-developed essay in which you analyze the importance of “home” to this character and the reasons for its continuing influence. Explain how the character’s idea of home illuminates the larger meaning of the work. Do not merely summarize the plot.
2011. In a novel by William Styron, a father tells his son that life “is a search for justice.”
Choose a character from a novel or play who responds in some significant way to justice or injustice. Then write a well-developed essay in which you analyze the character’s understanding of justice, the degree to which the character’s search for justice is successful , and the significance of this search for the work as a whole.
2011, Form B. In The Writing of Fiction (1925), novelist Edith Wharton states the following:
At every stage in the progress of his tale the novelist must rely on what may be called the illuminating incident to reveal and emphasize the inner meaning of each situation. Illuminating incidents are the magic casements of fiction, its vistas on infinity.
Choose a novel or play that you have studied and write a well-organized essay in which you describe an “illuminating” episode or moment and explain how it functions as a “casement,” a window that opens onto the meaning of the work as a whole. Avoid mere plot summary.
2012. “And after all, our surroundings influence our lives and characters as much as fate, destiny or any supernatural agency.” -- Pauline Hopkins, Contending Forces
Choose a novel or play in which cultural, physical, or geographical surroundings shape psychological or moral traits in a character. Then write a well-organized essay in which you analyze how surroundings affect this character and illuminate the meaning of the work as a whole. Avoid mere plot summary. 

Week of 11/17, otherwise known as "The Last Week before Thanksgiving"

It's almost time for a week-long break!!! Who's READY??? :) (Middle Eastern Novel due 12/8. That does only give you 3 weeks instead of 4, but one of them is a no school week, so it should be fine.)

Monday, 11/17
Frank activities

Tuesday, 11/18
Frank

Wednesday, 11/19
Satire

Thursday, 11/20
1-AP Prac
2-TT

Friday, 11/21
JOURNALS DUE
Satire

Allusions Week 1

So... we are through with lit terms for this semester. And, as you saw on Friday's test, your tests will include allusions every unit. SO, I came up with a plan to get those taken care of. For this week, I want you to locate allusions from your master list that occur in Frankenstein. Post those allusions in the comments to this post by Wednesday of this week. On Friday, everyone will be quizzed over a random allusion. :) HOW FUN IS THAT??????

Week of 11/10

IT'S TIME!!!! IT'S FINALLY TIME FOR FRANKENSTEIN!!!!! I CAN'T EXPRESS MY EXCITEMENT!!!

Monday, 11/10
Allusions
Intro to Nature/Technology/Self

Tuesday, 11/11
Frank as Gothic Novel

Wednesday, 11/12
Frank Seminar

Thursday, 11/13
1-TT
2-AP MC
Hamlet MC due

Friday, 11/14
Allusions Quiz
Frank writing
Ham Revised Essay due

Week of November 3

And, finally, we end Unit ONE. HAHAHA! This week is a bit of randomness, so just play it out with me. :)

Monday, 11/3
Hamlet Project due
Literary Graffitti
Rhetorical Precis due

Tuesday, 11/4
No school

Wednesday, 11/5
Hamlet Essay due
Peer Read

Thursday, 11/6
1-TT
2-TT

Friday, 11/7
Unit 1 Test

Lit Terms 4

Pun
Figurative Language
Allegory
Style
Tragedy
Point of View
Persuasion
Simile

I am so sorry for insulting your intelligence with these EASY words.

Week of 10/27

This is one of those times when I am SO grateful for a skinny because let me tell you, if we were almost halfway finished with each other, I would be SO SAD.

Monday, 10/27

Hamlet Catchup

Tuesday, 10/28

All with Renshaw

Wednesday, 10/29

Hamlet AP Passage Q

Thursday, 10/30

All with me for 30 min

Hamlet Open Essay Q

(Therapeutic Thursday postponed till next week)

Friday, 10/31

Lit Terms Quiz 

Literary Graffiti

Hamlet Project due 11/3

Week of 10/20

The Lit Terms that should have been last week are instead moved to the week of 10/27.

HAMLET!!! :) I am loving, loving, loving talking to you about it and I hope you are enjoying it just as much.

Monday, 10/20
Hamlet IV

Tuesday, 10/21
Hamlet IV

Wednesday, 10/22
Hamlet V

Thursday, 10/23
1- AP Pract
2-TT

Friday, 10/24
Hamlet V
JOURNALS DUE

Week of 9/29

 I know Hamlet feels like we are only reading a few pages a day, and that is really the only complaint I have about a skinny. Shakespeare fits much better in 90 minute blocks. :)

Monday, 9/29
Hamlet I

Tuesday, 9/30
Hamlet II

Wednesday, 10/1
Hamlet II

Thursday, 10/2
1-AP MC Prac
2-TT

Friday, 10/3
Hamlet II

Lit Terms 3

Flashback
Theme
Narrative
Fable
Symbol
Dialect
Plot
Vernacular
Personification
Soliloquy

Week of 9/22

IT'S TIME FOR HAMLET!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The Alchemist was great and all (although I miss interacting with you while you are working on the activities over it), but OH SHAKESPEARE, HOW I LOVE THEE. :)

Monday, 9/22
ALCHEMIST INSIGHTS DUE
Lit Terms 3 up
Hamlet Act I

Tuesday, 9/23
Hamlet Act I

Wednesday, 9/24
Hamlet Act I

Thursday, 9/25
1-TT
2-MC Practice

Friday, 9/26
Hamlet Act II
Lit Terms Quiz

First Lines

I had mentioned my own obsession with first lines to one group when you did your Therapeutic Thursdays over first lines. As I said, it's really fascinating to go back and read a first line once you have completed the book to sort of see if the author delivered on his or her promise/negotiation with you, as well as to see if the first line wove through the rest of the book. I just went through my shelves here in my classroom and looked at my favorites to see how the lines measure up to the books. I have to say, I was really interested and thrilled to read them. Here are just a few of my favorites from my shelves here at school:

"Those old cows knew trouble was coming before we did."
~Jeanette Walls, Half-Broke Horses

"Dear friend, I am writing to you because she said you listen and understand and didn't try to sleep with that person at that party even though you could have."
~Stephen Chbosky, The Perks of Being a Wallflower

"I became what I am today at the age of twelve, on a frigid overcast day in the winter of 1975."
~Khaled Hosseini, The Kite Runner

"When I was little I would think of ways to kill my daddy. I would figure out this or that way and run it through my head until it got easy."
~Kaye Gibbons, Ellen Foster

"I was sitting in a taxi, wondering if I had overdressed for the evening, when I looked out the window and saw Mom rooting through a dumpster."
~Jeanette Walls, The Glass Castle

"Most days I wish I was a British pound coin instead of an African girl. Everyone would see me coming. Maybe I would visit with you for the weekend and then suddenly, because I am fickle like that, I would visit with the man from the corner shop instead-- but you would not be sad because you would be eating a cinnamon bun, or drinking a cold Coca-Cola from the can, and you would never think of me again. We would be happy, like lovers who met on holiday and forgot each other's names."
~Chris Cleave, Little Bee

"First the colors.
      Then the humans.
      That's usually how I try to see things.
      Or at least, how I try.
                         ****Here is a small fact*****
                         You are going to die."
~Markus Zusak, The Book Thief

I will also tell you, in looking through my favorites, two that had disappointing first lines yet were incredible books. I was surprised to find that the first lines of The Things They Carried and Reading Lolita in Tehran were not at all examples of the beautiful writing that can be found in the rest of the book. The first line of Heart of Darkness (a book I LOVE, but not necessarily for the succinctness of the writing) was also a bummer.

What books are your favorites? Does the first line deliver? Use the comments session to INTERACT WITH ME. :)

Week of 9/15

I hope you have enjoyed The Alchemist and I can't wait for you to start FRANKENSTEIN this week!!! Group 1, you will be grading your multiple choice this week and group 2 graded theirs last week... I feel like it's a good start. Don't be discouraged by your score, we will improve on this, I promise.

Monday, 9/15

Alchemist Symbols work

Tuesday, 9/16

Alchemist Symbols

Wednesday, 9/17

AP writing activity

Thursday, 9/18

1-AP Grading/Collaboration

2-TT

Assign Frankenstein

Friday, 9/19

SUB

JOURNALS DUE

Intro to Hamlet

Week of September 8

It's ALCHEMIST TIME!!!!!  I can't wait to talk about this book with you and listen to you delve into it.

Monday, 9/8
Peer Read College Essay
Lit terms 2
College Day

Tuesday, 9/9
Discussion over Alchemist

Wednesday, 9/10
Alchemist Discussion

Thursday, 9/11
1-TT
2-AP Grading/Collaboration

Friday, 9/12
Lit Terms Quiz 2
Alchemist Quote Response

Lit Terms 2

More easy words!

Epithet
Epic
Anecdote
Argument
Mood
Exposition
Rhetoric
Stream of Consciousness
Flat Character
Parody

Week of 9/1/ FOUR DAY WEEK ;)

I know last week was pretty slow, and I apologize for that. However, practice isn't usually that fun but it always helps make you better and that's our goal. :) This week will be really different, though still AP test-focused.

Monday, 9/1
NO SCHOOL

Tuesday, 9/2
Finish any remaining essays
Assign College Application Essay

Wednesday, 9/3
Group AP grading

Thursday, 9/4
1-AP Prac
2-TT

Friday, 9/5
SUB
Group AP Grading

***Remember, The Alchemist must be finished by next week!!!

Lit Terms 1

Easy, easy, easy... This week's (and really the whole semester's) terms are so easy. Remember the format of the quiz for Friday is that you will be quizzed over ONE of these (randomly) and you won't know which one until you get the quiz. You will need to be able to define and answer an application questions.

Form
Tone
Imagery
Essay
Onomatopoeia
Static Character
Metaphor
Rhythm
Cliche
Ambiguity (in literature)

Week of 8/25

Another great week behind, and one ahead too! :) This week will include some independent work on practice AP tests, I know it's not that fun, but see it as an opportunity to better yourselves.

Monday, 8/25
Prologue Memorization
Say/Mean/Satire during class
Lit Terms 1 out

Tuesday, 8/26
Poetry Practice

Wednesday, 8/27
Prose Practice

Thursday, 8/28
1-TT
2-AP Prac (MC)

Friday, 8/29
Open Essay Practice
Lit Terms Quiz

Week of August 18

Great first full week with you! Group 1 had a wonderful first discussion over The Canterbury Tales and I fully expect that Group 2 will be with it this week. ;)

Monday, 8/18
Discussion over Part 2 of the Prologue
"Pardoner's Tale" for homework

Tuesday, 8/19
Discussion over the Pardoner's Tale
"Wife of Bath's Tale" for homework

Wednesday, 8/20
WOB discussion

Thursday, 8/21
1- AP Prac (diagnostic test)
2-TT

Friday, 8/22
Open Question  Character essay (in-class)
JOURNALS DUE

A few tidbits

Here is the link to the Prologue audio file!

http://www.luminarium.org/medlit/gp.htm

Also, for those in group 2, here are the things you need to watch for when reading your assignment:

Socioeconomic status- can be determined by the type of horses they ride, color of clothing, etc

Chaucer's opinion of them

Categorize them into one of three categories-- feudal (land), church, or city (merchant/professional)


Make sure that you use post its and make plenty of annotations in your text so that you will have lots of fodder for discussion!

:)

FIRST FULL WEEK!!!

Hey guys! It's your last first full week of high school. :) I just want to tell you that I am really incredibly excited about our year together. I can already tell that you are bright, witty, and interesting people and I can't wait to get to know you better.

Monday, 8/11
Classics, Toolbox discussion
Self-Assessment
Assign Alchemist

Tuesday, 8/12
Intro to Identity

Wednesday, 8/13
C-T Notes
Assign Part 1 of Prologue

Thursday, 8/14
1-TT
2-AP Prac

Friday, 8/15
*Have your allusions handout highlighted with the ones you know
C-T discussion
Read Part 2 for h/w

Lit Terms 6

Keep pushing!

Naturalism
Modernism
Epigraph
Antihero
Juxtaposition
Periodic sentence
Apposition
Tricolon
Antithesis
Causal relationship

Repost of Last Year's Projects for Inspiration

Final projects in AP were to come up with a thesis statement that can be threaded through at least three of the works from this semester, then write a two page paper and do a visual project on that thesis. They. Were. Awesome. 

As long as there has been life, there has been pursuit. Plants strive to survive, animals fight for dominance, but sentient life is more complicated.

~Erin

Frankenstein, Heart of Darkness, Macbeth

If it can change you, it will change you.

~David C

Heart of Darkness, Macbeth, Frankenstein

Society, or the lack thereof, has an impact on the individual whether it shapes, influences, or changes him.

~Carolyn

Heart of Darkness, Frankenstein, Grendel

The process of self-discovery is a long and complicated journey that everyone must go through.

~Kaedee

Hamlet, Grendel, The Alchemist

Fate, the preordained set of events occurring throughout human life and history, is an important idea.

~Kelsey

The Alchemist, Frankenstein, Macbeth

Relationships with others are the driving force behind one's actions whatever the intent of those actions may be; some positive, some negative, some pure ignorance and curiosity, but all actions determined by the presence of others impacting them.

~Melissa

The Alchemist, Macbeth, Grendel

A journey is not only a distance or a destination; the point is what you want to experience and how you choose to travel.

~Molly

The Alchemist, Frankenstein, Grendel

There is always a choice between good and evil.

~Alicia

Frankenstein, Grendel, Macbeth

In every lifetime, there comes a time when he or she feels utterly alone.

~Anna

The Alchemist, Frankenstein, Grendel

Trying to be nobody but yourself in a world that is doing everything it can to make you somebody you aren't is to fight the hardest battle you will ever fight.

~Jessica

Frankenstein, Heart of Darkness, Macbeth, and Grendel

We all have a desire to be accepted, and this is portrayed in the hearts of these monstrosities.

~Karrah

Frankenstein, Heart of Darkness, Grendel

To find out what you have, you must discover what you don't need.

~Olivia

The Alchemist, Frankenstein

We change through our literature.

~Victoria

The Alchemist, Memoirs of a Geisha, Macbeth

Books are a lot more like blankets than anyone seems to notice. They have a funny way of comforting you when you are looking for comfort, or simply when you are cold and in desperate need of warmth. ... The books I've read this year have warmed me when the heat wasn't working-- and they've pulled the covers from me when I needed a sobering night of winter air or rainy draught. 

There is not central thread. Every blanket is made of many threads. All threads are alike because they are all threads-- they make up all blankets and all books. But the threads do not step at the edge of the page or the corner of the bed; they go deep inside of me, and I may wind them and sew them as I please. What I pull from each, what I discover about myself in each, is the theme. What is life? Life is a bunch of threads.

~Derek

Heart of Darkness, Anthem, and Frankenstein

 Society is so powerful that it's able to shape, change, and mold a person.

~Alexis

The Alchemist, Frankenstein

The literary view of evil has reacted to empirical discoveries and changes in popular perception by shifting the origin of a character's evil from his own nature to his social context. 

~Grant

Beowulf, Macbeth, Frankenstein, Heart of Darkness, and Grendel

Forced isolation creates a greater appreciation for community and companionship.

~Jesse

Grendel, Frankenstein, Reading Lolita in Tehran

Death can provide a background for other themes and ideas within a literary work.

~Jesus

Frankenstein, Hamlet, Grendel

Humans should not quickly judge or conform to the general consensus, but instead be open to ideas and opinions, flaws and disappointments.

~Katlin

The Alchemist, Hamlet, Macbeth

People are ultimately, irreparably, bound to be shaped, for better or worse, by the expectations and actions bestowed upon them by their peers.

~Eduardo

Heart of Darkness, Frankenstein, Atonement

It is beyond their common state where ultimate truths are revealed and their responses ultimately determine their lives with the choices they make.

~Leslie

The Alchemist, Heart of Darkness, Grendel, and Frankenstein

We are shaped by our creators, our monsters, and the society into which we are born.

~Tiffany

Frankenstein, Grendel, and The Kite Runner

Who we are reflects back at ourselves through our literature.

~Walker

The Alchemist, Grendel, and Frankenstein

Motivation comes from various sources such as the pressures of society, the effects of isolation, the gain of fame and power, and the desire to help people in need.

~Justin

A Passage to India, Frankenstein, Macbeth

Link to Vote (PLEASE)

So, I feel a little awkward posting this BUT..... it IS a trip to NYC, a place I've never been, so here goes. :) Somehow (and rather miraculously) this happened today and I am in the top 12 semifinalists for Live with Kelly and Mike Top Teacher Contest. If you would, please go to the link below and vote!!!

http://livekellyandmichael.dadt.com/uncategorized/top-teacher/

Week of 4/14

Our time is waning....

Monday, 4/14

Grendel

Tuesday, 4/15

Monster Day (maybe)

Assign Exeter Book

Wednesday, 4/16

Discuss Exeter Book

Thursday, 4/17

Ther Thur

Lit Terms 5 (this is a delayed test)

Journals Due

Friday, 4/18

OFF!

Lit Terms 5

Edited: This test will be on Thursday, 4/17. Lit Terms 6 will be bumped to 4/25.

Getting close now....

Lyric poem
Inversion (in grammar and comp)
Oxymoron
Puritanism
Epanalepsis
Anthropomorphism
Syntactic Permutation
Epistrophe
Antimetabole
Transcendentalism

Week of 3/17, otherwise known as THE LAST WEEK BEFORE SPRING BREAK

You made it to Spring Break!!!! I know I tell you often, but I truly have enjoyed this year with you so very much and it breaks my little heart to think that it is nearly over. :( Thank you for being the people you are, for making me laugh and for being annoying sometimes ;) and for treating each other and me the way that you do. You make fabulous projects and have great discussion. Thank you.

Monday, 3/17
Watch "DPS"

Tuesday, 3/18
Watch "DPS"
Poetry if time

Wednesday, 3/19
Sub
Test over Unit 3

Thursday, 3/20
Sub
1-MC Prac
2-TT
JOURNALS DUE

Friday, 3/21
OFF

Read Grendel over spring break!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Week of 3/10

We are quickly wrapping up this unit! Time is flying by.

Monday, 3/10
HOD Work in class

Tuesday, 3/11
Metaphysical poetry

Wednesday, 3/12
Cavalier poetry

Thursday, 3/13
1-TT
2-MC Practice

Friday, 3/14
Lit Terms Quiz
Watch DPS

Lit Terms 4

More, more, more! We are getting good.

Syntactic fluency
Regionalism
Chiasmus
Anaphora
Plain style (in writing)
Unity (in the grammatical sense)
Rationalism
Aphorism
Synecdoche
Didactic

Lit Terms 3

More of a mix this week! Exciting stuff!

Anastrophe
Metonymy
Realism
Hypotactic
Litotes
Syllepsis
Polysyndeton
Apostrophe
Elegy
Paradox

Week of March 3

Thank you for your attention to Heart of Darkness this week and for pushing through. I know it's a more difficult read, but at least you are approaching it with a good attitude.

Monday, 3/3
Discuss Part 2
Read Part 3 for h/w

Tuesday, 3/4
Service Day

Wednesday, 3/5
Part 3 discussion

Thursday, 3/6
Ther Thur

Friday, 3/7
HOD work
Lit Terms Quiz 3

Week of 2/24

Well, I thought we would be all caught up by today but somehow it didn't work out. That's ok, we can make it happen.

Monday, 2/24
Finish Act V

Tuesday, 2/25
Act V
AP Thesis/MC for homework-- due 3/3

Wednesday, 2/26
Intro to HOD
Read part 1 for homework

Thursday, 2/27
1-TT
2-AP Prac

Friday, 2/28
Discuss 1
Read part 2 for homework
JOURNALS DUE
MAC REC/PROJECTS DUE

Samples for Love Month Assignment

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42E2fAWM6rA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpHj__259aQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xTLdrHNei3M

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfCe4ubG9UM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWMie44xr-A

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uALDrCjeXxQ

Lit Terms Quiz 2

These are a bit harder than the first ones. I'm mixing grammar/multiple choice type terms with true literary terms AND literary time periods for this week. You're welcome. Also, meet the irony brothers.

Asyndeton
Confessional poetry
Irony
Dramatic irony
Situational irony
Verbal irony
Impressionism
Surrealism
Telegraphic sentence
Hyperbole

Week of February 10

We might finish Macbeth at some point in the near future. ;)

Monday, 2/10
Sub
Macbeth Act IV (while tracing word)

Tuesday, 2/11
Macbeth Act V

Wednesday, 2/12
Outside Reading Creative Project Due
Outside Reading Activity

Thursday, 2/13
1-TT
2-MC Prac

Friday, 2/14
Macbeth Act V
Lit Terms Quiz 2

Week of January 27

Sorry I'm late getting this up (for the 2 people who look at the blog)... Being off Friday, though pleasant, meant that yesterday was spent catching up and this got put on the back burner. This week, more MACBETH!!!

Monday, 1/27
Lit Terms quiz from Fri
Mac Act I finished

Tuesday, 1/28
Mac Act II

Wednesday, 1/29
Mac Act II

Thursday, 1/30
1-TT
2-MC Prac

Friday, 1/31
Mac Act III
JOURNALS DUE

Weekend Reflection :)

On Friday, we did a (wonderful) collaborative critical thinking activity on the themes and motifs of Macbeth. One of your number suggested an essay assignment in which you address the topic that was your favorite. ;) I think she was kidding, but I did think that a little bit of additional reflection that hones in a little more on the topic probably wouldn't hurt anyone. SOOOO.... I need you (in the comments on the blog) to give me about a paragraph of further reflection on any one of the topics listed below:

Ambition
Situational Ethics
The "Snowball" Effect
Right vs. Right: Loyalty vs Truth
Right vs. Right: Justice vs. Mercy
Right vs. Right: Individual vs. Community
John Locke~ "Justice and truth are the common ties of society."
George Eliot~ "The strongest principle of growth lies in human choice."
Miguel de Cervantes~ "Truth may be stretched but cannot be broken, and always gets above falsehood, as oil does above water."

**WHEN YOU COMMENT, IT WILL NOT SHOW UP IMMEDIATELY. I HAVE TO APPROVE IT. THIS IS TO PREVENT SOME YAHOO FROM POSTING SOME PROFANE THING ON HERE AND ME NOT KNOWING. YOU DON'T HAVE TO COMMENT AGAIN AND AGAIN (WHILE COMPLAINING ABOUT THE PROCESS--MARK--). IT WILL BE THERE AFTER I APPROVE IT. ;)

Lit Terms 1 (Semester 2)

Staying easy in Week 1. Most of these are words you at least vaguely know. Remember, become very familiar not only with the definition, but with examples of these. :)

Motif
Parallel Structure
Allusion
Conceit
Parable
Free Verse
Diction
Romance (not of the Friday night/Valentine's Day variety)
Couplet
Connotation

HAPPY SHORT WEEK!!!

You know I love Shakespeare. :) And so I can't wait for us to read Macbeth. AND WE GET TO START NOW!!!! Looking forward to some great discussion and a night together to watch the PBS version! Also, lit terms this week! Remember!

Monday, 1/20
OFF!!! Enjoy and relax.

Tuesday, 1/21
Macbeth Act I

Wednesday, 1/22
Act I

Thursday, 1/23
1-Flashcards
2-TT

Friday, 1/24
Lit Terms Quiz
Macbeth Act II

FREE BOOKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

LOOK!!!!! Not just for the Love Month book but for ANY great classic you could use on the AP test!!! It's a link with TONS of free ebook classic works on it! CHECK IT OUT!

The Gateway to Your Heart's Greatest Desires

AP Works Frequently Used on the Test

As you pick books for the "Love Month" assignment AND later in the semester, you might be curious to know which works tend to appear on the Question 3 part of the test. Here is a link that will take you to a complete list, including frequency.

AP Works

Sonnet Annotation Activity

Step 1: Pick a sonnet. It does not have to be written by Shakespeare (or Petrarch), but it DOES need to fit the sonnet form and be a well-written poem. The websites below will help you come up with one. Do NOT take too long to find one, but DO select a sonnet that you like and understand.

Shakespearean

Other sonnets (click on the poet's name and it will take you to that page, then you can click on sonnets written by that poet)

Step 2: Annotate the sonnet using the comments feature of the word processing program. First, copy and paste the sonnet into the document (including title and poet). Next, break it apart (the longer version of what you will do during the AP test on the poetry question), making notes and analysis. The websites below will help in this process. I am hoping we all know how to use the comments feature because I couldn't find a website with a tutorial for whatever generic version of word processing is on these machines...

Annotation Guides

Mr. Prestney, whom you probably wish was your teacher...

A wiki with a great example of what an annotated poem LOOKS like...

If that link doesn't work from school, here is another link.

Week of January 13

Breathe in, breathe out! Remember your new habits of mind and body that you are going to incorporate this semester! 5 21-day cycles, starting this week...

Monday, 1/13
Computer lab to annotate a sonnet

Tuesday, 1/14
Intro to Unit 3
Homework: Read Sir Gawaine and Le Morte from the book

Wednesday, 1/15
Sir Gawaine, Le Morte

Thursday, 1/16
1-TT
2- MC Practice

Friday, 1/17
Intro seminar to Macbeth

AP "Love" Month Book List

*For Whom the Bell Tolls~Ernest Hemingway

*Jane Eyre~Charlotte Bronte

*Pride and Prejudice~Jane Austen Ashlee

Wuthering Heights~Emily Bronte

The English Patient~Michael Ondaatje Taylor*

Atonement~Ian McEwen Megan*

Never Let Me Go~Kazura Ishiguro Logan and Nick

Antony and Cleopatra~William Shakespeare

A Farewell to Arms~Ernest Hemingway

A Midsummer Night’s Dream~William Shakespeare

Emma~Jane Austen Chauncey and Abby

Sense and Sensibility~Jane Austen

A Thousand Spendid Suns~Khaled Hosseini

*Nectar in a Sieve~Kamala Markandava Samantha

*Ethan Fromme~Edith Wharton

*The Age of Innocence~Edith Wharton

Les Miserables~Victor Hugo Forrest

Water for Elephants~Sara Gruen Mikaela

Doctor Zhivago~Boris Pasternak Leigh

The Postmistress~Sarah Blake Meredith

Wicked~Gregory Maguire Hannah

*A Thousand Acres~Jane Smiley

Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society~ Mary Ann Shaffer

Love Walked In~Marisa de los Santos

*Cold Mountain~Charles Frazier

Memoirs of a Geisha~Arthur Golden Kelsey

The Time Traveler’s Wife~Audrey Niffenegger

Love in the Time of Cholera~Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Cider House Rules~John Irving

*Anna Karenina~Leo Tolstoy

Train to Pakistan~Khushwant Singh

*Things Fall Apart~Chinua Achebe

*The Mermaid Chair~Sue Monk Kidd

*The Fountainhead~Ayn Rand

Cutting for Stone~Abraham Verghese

King Lear~William Shakespeare

A Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich~Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn Tyler*

The Book Thief~Markus Zusak Nora

The Awakening~Kate Chopin Lorne
The Scarlet Letter~Nathaniel Hawthorne

Passage to India~E.M.Forster Harrison

Villette ~Charlotte Bronte Charlotte

The Little Prince Matthew

Great Expectations- Dickens Oksana

On the Road Mark

The Tempest Aimee

The Great Gatsby Brandon*

Farenheit 451 Parker*

When the Emporer was Divine Nanea*