Monday, December 29, 2014

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!!!



Friday, December 12, 2014

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

Friday, December 5, 2014

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

Tuesday, December 2, 2014

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.


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.

Monday, December 1, 2014

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