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:
Monday, December 29, 2014
Kafka's Metamorphosis Project
Posted by A. Davis at 7:27 AM 0 comments
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
Posted by A. Davis at 11:58 AM 0 comments
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
Posted by A. Davis at 10:11 AM 0 comments
Tuesday, December 2, 2014
Sonnet Annotation Activity
Posted by A. Davis at 8:39 AM 0 comments
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.
Posted by A. Davis at 7:29 AM 0 comments
Allusions Week 2
Swiftian
Pandora's Box
Frankenstein
Cain
Pyrrhic victory
Samson and Delilah
Lilliputian
Yahoo
Machiavellian
Utopia
Posted by A. Davis at 6:52 AM 0 comments