Mary's English 100

GoW: Chpts. 16, 17, & 1/2 18

2012-01-31T20:24:00.000-08:00

Compare and contrast Ma & Rose of Sharon. Be specific in your comparison/contrast of the language used to describe each character. Come up with a thesis statement for a paragraph on this subject.

Reminder: close readings begin with an examination of language.

Character groups: quick check-in to add to your list. Be ready to report back to the group your findings on your character thus far. In three concise sentences, tell us about your character.

Discussion questions:

1. When the car breaks down, what is significant about Ma's reaction? How does this mechanical difficulty affect the relationship between Ma & Pa? Ma and the family? Tom & Al?

2. What advice does Tom offer the one-eyed man in the junkyard? What might the one-eyed man represent, metaphorically?

3. In the camping area, what information does the ragged man give to Pa about California? What effect does this information have on the Joads? (Pa, Tom, Al, & Ma)

4. What effect does the nightly camping have on the people heading for California? How does it give them strength and power? In what way does the night camp influence the identity of the migrant people?

5. What is the Joads' first view of California? What impressions of California do the father and son from the Panhandle provide?

GoW: Chpts 14 & 15

2012-01-26T11:24:00.000-08:00

A little music to get us going .... and some lyrics

Character Groups: check in. What have we learned about your character?

Discussion questions:

1. Chpt 14 repeats the following line:

"The Western land, nervous under the beginning change." (150)

"The Western States nervous under the beginning change." (151)

"The Western States are nervous under the beginning change." (152)

What are the literal differences between these lines? What impact do those differences have on the meanings of these lines? And why repeat this idea?

2. Chpt 15: What causes Mae's prejudice to fade?

GoW: Chpts. 12 & 13: We Migrate!

2012-01-23T20:14:00.001-08:00

1. List all the significant verbs

2. List all the significant adjectives

3. List all the significant nouns

4. Using your word lists, describe the tone of this passage. Remember that when you talk about tone you use adjectives, and link your tone directly to the words of the passage.

Character groups: Quick check in with your group to add to your lists (5 min max)

Discussion questions:

1. Chapter 12 is somewhat chaotic in its narrative. Why do you think Steinbeck did that?

2. What is xenophobia and how can we see it expressed in these two chapters? How can you foresee it playing a large role in the remainder of the novel?

3. What is the first unpleasant event on the Joad's journey and what does it foreshadow about what lies ahead?

4. What's the significance of Granpa's death?

5. What is the value of Jim Casy's prayer on p.144? What are the Joads and the reader to take away from it?

GOW: 7, 8, 9

2012-01-13T09:13:00.000-08:00

Free Write: "How can we live without our lives? How will we know it's us without our past?" (88). How has your past been a framework for who you are today? Think about three specific possessions that have shaped who you are. How might the absence of those objects in your daily affect your sense of self?

Character groups: What have we learned? Who have we met? Share away in groups and then report back to the larger group.

Discussion questions:

1. What is Tom's homecoming like? What does it reveal about the Joad family structure?

2. Three family members have asked Tom Joad if he busted out of jail. What does this reveal about the family? About Tom?

3. At the close of the chapter 9, the family (not the Joads) burns its belongings. Why?

4. What animals have we encountered in these chapters? What do they signify/connote?

GOW: 5 & 6

2012-01-10T21:15:00.000-08:00

Character groups: we learn something about almost all of the selected characters even if they haven't made a first-hand appearance in the text.

Discussion Questions:

1. Chapter five addresses a stark contrast between an "us" and a "them". How does this dichotomy erode community? Think about the tone created in this chapter and the language that leads you to that tone.

2. How does prioritizing the self negatively/positively affect a community?

3. How does Steinbeck use Muley's connection with the land as a way to suggest he might be crazy/"touched"? What does this connection with the land say about its role in forming Muley's identity?

4. What kinds of animals have we seen in these chapters and what might those animals represent? Look closely at the last few lines of Chpt 6. What is Steinbeck trying to convey about life on the plains?
5. When commenting on the sense of his time in prison, Tom says, "That kind of senselessness worries a man," (26). He also says some three times he would repeat the crime he committed. What do these thoughts reveal about Tom's character? His beliefs on life?

Grapes of Wrath: It begins

2012-01-06T13:44:00.000-08:00

1. Introduce idea of character analysis

2. What do the first two paragraphs tell us about the story? Looking closely at the language, what kind of tone is set? (remember when we talk about tone we use adjectives; move beyond the basic)

3. How is the idea of struggle set forth in the first four chapters?

4. What's up with that turtle? What could the turtle symbolize?

As time permits ...

5. A little free write post-video to get us thinking about the Joads and their migration.

You suddenly have to leave your home. You must leave your belongings behind, and, aside from a few clothes, you can take only four of your possessions. What would you take? In a letter to a friend, identify these possessions. Then explain what those items mean to you and why you chose as you did. Include your feelings about the items you had to leave behind and any anger or frustration that you felt, as well as sadness.

Exam review materials

2011-12-02T10:42:00.001-08:00

All you need

Tempest Final Project

2011-11-22T11:12:00.001-08:00

Final Project Information

Tempest: The Final Questions

2011-11-22T08:33:00.001-08:00

The Basics:

1.What does Prospero do before Ariel brings in Alonso and the others?

2. How does Prospero treat his prisoners as they awake? How do they respond? Specifically, how does he treat Sebastian and Antonio? How do they respond?

3. What are Ferdinand and Miranda doing when they appear? How is the game going?

4. How does Gonzalo interpret all that has happened?

5. How many ways can we understand Prospero's comment on Caliban? How does Caliban respond to what has happened to him?

6. What will happen next? What happens to Ariel?

Big Picture:

1. What does it mean to forgive?

2. What do you think of Prospero as the play closes?

3. What are we to think of Prospero's epilogue? What if this is Shakespeare's final farewell?

Tempest 5.1 HW Questions

2011-11-18T10:32:00.001-08:00

Respond to the following questions

1. Why does Prospero decide to give up magic? What does his choice show about what he thinks happened in the past? How does he plan to live in the future? What has Prospero learned? Has he changed in any fundamental way or had the change already occurred before the beginning of the action?

Tempest 4.1

2011-11-16T09:12:00.001-08:00

1. Check journals & books

Discussion Questions
1.What has Prospero agreed to at the beginning of the scene? What warning does he give to Ferdinand and Miranda?
2. What instructions does Prospero have for Ariel (4.1.35-38)?
3. What happens in the show (masque) that Prospero presents for Ferdinand and Miranda (4.1.60-139)?
4. What is the subject of the show? Why is it appropriate?
5. Why does Prospero cut short the show? How do Ferdinand and Miranda respond to what happens (4.1.143-145)? How does Prospero explain the show and his actions (4.1.146-163)?
6. According to Ariel (4.1.171-184), what has happened to Caliban, Stephano, and Trinculo since we last saw them?
7. What does Prospero tell Ariel to prepare for Caliban, Stephano, and Trinculo? What is Prospero's reaction to what Caliban has done (4.1.188-193)? Is his reaction justified?
8. What happens when Caliban, Stephano, and Trinculo come to kill Prospero? How are they driven away?
9. How does Prospero respond to his successes (4.1.262-266)?

Tempest: 3.3

2011-11-10T09:06:00.001-08:00

1. Check responses & vocab

2. Discussion questions:

*How does the apparition of the banquet affect Alonso and his entourage?

*How is the banquet used as a symbol?

*Why aren’t the men allowed to eat the food? Is this an effective moment for Ariel to accuse them of their sins?

Quiz time! You'll be fabulous.

Homework questions. Answer one of the following:

1. How is Ferdinand different from Caliban in his relationship to Miranda? Why does he pledge to keep her honor safe?OR2. What is the overall impact of the Masque? How is it supposed to affect the two young lovers? What is its message about the sanctity of the marriage bond?

Tempest: Act 3, Sc 1 & 2

2011-11-08T12:29:00.000-08:00

Free write on whatever topic you did not write about for homework:

1. Thinking about 3.1, what is Shakespeare suggesting about the true nature of love?

2. Thinking about 3.2, why include this subplot that mirrors the conspiracy of the nobles?

Let's make a family tree.

Tempest Act 2, Sc 2

2011-11-04T08:33:00.000-07:00

1. Let's look at Gonzalo's idea of a nation, a utopia
2. Responses from the blog
3. Quiz

Homework for next night's reading. Respond to one question, please.

1. How has Ferdinand’s and Miranda’s love deepened from their first interaction? What is Shakepeare suggesting about the true nature of love?

2. What does Caliban hope to accomplish by his plot against Prospero? Why does Shakespeare include this subplot mirroring the conspiracy of the nobles?

Tempest: Act 2, Sc 1

2011-10-31T12:06:00.000-07:00

1. Sentence fun

2. Check vocab & books & journal

3. Let's get playing & discussing

Discussion Questions

1. What type of person is Gonzalo? What was his role in the plot against Prospero? Does his behavior seem consistent with how he acts now?

2. Sebastian and Antonio ridicule Gonzalo. What does this tell us about their characters?

3. Antonio incites Sebastian to kill his brother and take the crown of Naples. Why? What does this tell us about Antonio’s motives? What does Sebastian’s response tell us about him? What could Shakespeare be saying about human nature?

4. Gonzalo's idea of a nation: the Utopia.

Homework questions to be answered on this blog:

1. Is it surprising that Caliban willingly worships Stephano and desires to give him control of the island when he resents Prospero for usurping what he considers his rightful claim? What does this show the audience about Caliban? (think literal and big picture)

I would suggest your answer your questions in a word/text document and then paste into the blog. And make sure you put your name either at the top or bottom of your post.

Tempest Act 1, Sc 2

2011-10-26T09:55:00.000-07:00

1. This scene opens with Miranda's compassion for the people caught in the tempest. Some productions show Prospero as a powerful magician; others, a quiet man. How would you stage the first sight of Prospero and Miranda for greatest dramatic effect?

Let's check out RSC.

2.What’s the history between Prospero & Antonio? How does Prospero assert his authority & his own truth? In what ways does this relationship express the theme of usurpation? (lines 36-168)

3.What’s the history between Prospero & Ariel? How does Prospero assert his authority? In what ways does this relationship express the theme of servant/master? (lines 189-299)

4. What’s the history between Prospero & Caliban? In what ways does Prospero assert his authority? How does this relationship express the idea of colonialism? (lines 307-373)

Tempest Act 1, Sc 1

2011-10-25T11:21:00.000-07:00

1. Sentence fun

2. Introduce vocab

3. Let's get playing/reading

Discussion Questions

Scene 1

In two groups, act out scene one. Note that the opening scene takes place on a ship at sea during a terrible storm. (Why is it significant that the play begins with a storm at sea?) How can the fury of the waves and wind be shown on stage? Be sure to address the following:

a. How do you perform the first stage direction?

b. How can actors' movements suggest a ship caught in a storm?

c. How might you convey the sense of fear & crisis? These are people who are desperately concerned to save their lives. Do they panic or are they well disciplined?

d. What simple props do you need to convey the scene.

Frank Project: Part 3

2011-10-18T10:20:00.001-07:00

The final part ...

Frank Project: Part 2

2011-10-12T11:08:00.000-07:00

Before we move onto the second part, let's review a few important SPA related items:

1. Context: Where is the quote from? Who said it? Why said it? And surely don't have floating quotes! Oh no! Work the evidence into the context using a comma or a colon.

2. Analysis: DO NOT! I repeat DO NOT! summarize the evidence. You're writing to an informed reader. And, of course, make sure you connect your analysis to the thesis.

3. Big Picture: What the heck does that mean? It means connecting your thesis and analysis and ideas to larger themes and ideas present in the novel and out. It's the So What? Sure the creature's identity is influenced by his appearance, so what? What are the larger implications of this idea?

4. Citation: (Shelley 215).

5. Speculation is the devil: Avoid using If ... then phrasing. If the monster had not been abandoned, then he wouldn't have killed William. Well, you know what? He was abandoned and he did kill William. Crazy but true. Turn that idea around and omit the speculation: The monster's abandonment caused him to kill William.

And now we move to the next step: Part 2.

Frank Project: Part 1

2011-10-05T14:28:00.001-07:00

Part 1: The Collage

Frank comes to a close

2011-10-04T09:45:00.000-07:00

1. Let's learn a new sentence!
2. Check books & Annotations

Discussion questions

1. What's the difference between regret & remorse? How do Victor and/or the creature show either? neither?

2. In chapter 7, find specific ways in which Victor & the creature have become identical. Look specifically a the text when answering this question.

3. Who are we the reader meant to sympathize with?
4. Major themes

5. What are your thoughts on this book? What did you love, not love, really really love?

Frank: Vol 3, Chpts 4-6 (almost done ... oh no!)

2011-09-30T12:12:00.000-07:00

The great debate!

Insiders & Outsiders

2011-09-26T09:10:00.000-07:00

Let's get some inspiration

Frankenstein 1931

Young Frankenstein

Beauty & the Beast

Free writes
1. In what way have you been run out of a community or group? OR In what way were you forced to be an outsider?
2. How did that experience change your perspective on the community you were pushed out of?

Discussion: We've talked about ways in which the creature is an outsiders, so let's look at Victor. In what was is Victor an outsider? And remember to think about what causes each character to become "the other". Think beyond the obvious.

If time permits: Erikson's stages of development

Frank: Vol 3, Chpts 1-3

2011-09-22T11:06:00.000-07:00

1. New Sentence

2. Check books and vocab whilst you free write:

Must a person experience desperation to know the true meaning of joy? Must a person know hunger to really understand the concept of being full? In other words, must we experience opposite emotions to truly understand life?

Discussion Questions

1. Where does Victor travel in Chpts 1-2? In what way does the journey further develop Victor's character? Clerval's?

2. Close reading p. 168-169. Let's look at tone and mood

3. At the close of Chpt 2 Victor says, "I looked towards its completion with a tremulous and eager hope, which I dared not trust myself to question, but which was intermixed with obscure forebodings of evil, that made my heart sick in my bosom" (169). Remember that Victor is telling a story. Using only this passage, what does Victor want the listener/reader to think of him?

4. At the start of Chpt 3 the creature says, "Shall each man ... find a wife for his bosom, and each beast have his mate, and I be alone? I had feelings of affection, and they were requited by detestation and scorn" (172). Is the creature's argument a reasonable one? If so, in what way does this develop Victor's character and the creature's?

Frank: Vol 2, Chpts 8-9

2011-09-19T10:41:00.000-07:00

Discussion questions:
B Block
1. How are the creature's emotions similar to those of Robert's & Victor's?
2. How does the mistreatment of the creature justify the murder he committed?

F Block
1. In what way do Victor and the creature share a connection to nature?
2. How has the creature's upbringing helped to shape his morals and values?
3. Why does the creature want Victor to create another creature? What is Shelley trying to tell us about human relationships?

For later ...
1. In what way is Victor's decision to create another monster due to sympathy/fear?
2. What does it mean to be human? Is the creature human? Is Victor?
3. The creature wants to both kill Frankenstein and enlist his help. What does this show about his character?
4. What effect did Mary Shelley's choice to abruptly chase the creature's companions out of the story have on the creature?
5. Why do you think Victor has agreed to make a female version of the creature even though he is hateful and angry with his original?
6. How was Victor's agreement to create the second creature justification for creating the first?
7. Why is creating a female creature the morally correct/incorrect thing to do?
8. Compare & contrast the creature and Victor.

Frank: Vol 2; Chpts 5-7

2011-09-14T14:52:00.000-07:00

1. New sentence pattern! Yes, a new one.

2. Check books & vocab

3. Vocab review

In-class

1. What makes a good discussion question good?

Engages in the morals and ethics of the novel
Specific but relatable to big picture
Not too abstract
Arguable/debatable/invites opposition

2. What are the components of a good discussion?

Freedom to express opinion/contradict others
No domination from one person
Speak AND listen
Articulate opinion before you voice it (think before you speak)
Textual evidence to support ideas
Stay on topic
Everyone gets involved
Be engaged
Stay open-minded
Build off each other rather than repeating
Have fun

Questions for now ...

1. Who is the real monster in Shelley's Frankenstein: Victor or the creature?

2. How did the creature's rejection by Felix and Agatha enforce the ideas that were introduced by the books he read?

Questions for later ...

1. Why do you think the creature gave humans a second chance after his unfortunate experience with the villagers?

2. What does it say about society when the creature is rejected by Felix & Agatha for his outward appearance?

3. In what ways has the creature's encounter with the old man taught him about humanity?

4. Should the creature be known as human or animal and why?

5. In what way has the cottagers' attack on the creature altered his views of humans and himself?

6. How does the creature's connection with the DeLacey's inform his identity?

Frank: Vol 2, Chpts 1-4

2011-09-12T11:53:00.000-07:00

1. Sentence review!

2. Check books and vocab

3. Review vocab

Discussion questions

1. At the close of chapter 1, in what ways has Victor changed? How does Shelley use Victor's fascination with nature to remind us of his actions against nature?

2. Close reading: p. 100 ("The ascent is precipitous, ...) — what is the tone of this paragraph? Is this Victor's way of expressing remorse for his actions?

3. "You accuse me of murder, and yet you would, with satisfied conscience, destroy your own creature. Oh, praise the eternal justice of man!" (103). Victor believes in an eye-for-an-eye. Is that justice or revenge?

4. How does the tone and language change from chapter three to chapter 4? What does this reveal about the creature's development?

NOTE: track the language of the creature. Pay close attention to when it is overtly negative and overtly positive. What's the correlation between his language and his sense of self? And the correlation between nature and Victor's sense of self.

Frank: Vol 1, Chpts. 7-8

2011-09-06T08:40:00.000-07:00

1. Sentence time! Last one before we review the different ones we've learned.

2. Check books and annotations

3. Review vocab words

4. Architecture handout

5. Review denotation and connotation

Discussion questions

1. Who is at fault for William's death? Is anyone other than the murderer responsible for what happened?

2. In chapter 7, what statement suggests that Victor views the creature as part of himself?

3. In what ways does Victor's guilt affect his health? What is Shelley's purpose in this recurring plot device?

Frank: Vol. 1 Chpts 4-6

2011-09-01T10:18:00.001-07:00

1. Let's learn a new sentence!
2. Check books and vocab
3. Free write for five minutes: Looking at the passage on p. 54 ("Learn from me ... than he who aspires to become greater than his nature will allow.) In what ways does Victor's warning relate to all mankind?
4. Review architecture handout.

Discussion questions

Victor and God: p. 54

In what ways does Shelley display Victor's hubris? Look particularly at the contrast in Victor's desire to conquer nature yet ignore its beauty.

Chpt. 5: Close reading of passage on pp. 58-59. Lesson on connotation (an idea or feeling that a word invokes in a person in addition to its literal/primary meaning) and denotation (the literal/primary meaning of a word, in contrast to the feelings or ideas that the word suggests). Step 1: read passage out lout. Step 2: read silently and circle/underline all words with negative connotations/denotations. Big question: hat kind of tone is Shelley trying to create around the the Creature's creation and creator?

Frank: Vol. 1 Chpts 1-3

2011-08-30T13:00:00.000-07:00

1. A new sentence!
2. Check book
3. Check and review vocabulary

Discussion
1. In what ways does Victor's statement that "the world was to me a secret which I desired to divine" (38) serve as characterization? What is characterization? Think about Walton!

2. In what ways do Henry & Victor differ? Why might Shelley be setting them up as foils? (**A character in a work whose behavior and values contrast with those of another character in order to highlight the distinctive temperament of that character (usually the protagonist)) (Bedford St Martins Press).

3. In what way does Shelley characterize Elizabeth when she writes "the saintly soul (who) shone like a shrine-dedicated lamp in our peaceful home?" (39). What role does this characterization set for Elizabeth?
4. Is Victor's fascination with the Philosopher's Stone an admirable one? Look closely at the passage on page 42: "Under the guidance of my new preceptors, I entered with the greatest diligence into the search of the philosopher's stone and the elixir of life; but the latter soon obtained my undivided attention. Wealth was an inferior object; but what glory would attend the discovery, if I could banish disease from the human frame and render man invulnerable to any but a violent death!" What is Hubris?
5. What does Victor's search for a like-minded thinker tell us about human nature? Why might Shelley have portrayed this characteristic in both Victor and Robert?

6. What themes have been presented thus far?

Frank: The Letters

2011-08-28T16:51:00.001-07:00

1. Let's learn a new sentence pattern! You love the semi-colon!
2. Check books
3. Check and review vocab
4. Some background.

Who was Mary Shelley? What is this Frankenstein we speak of?
Some major themes we'll see: fate vs free will, personal responsibility, loneliness, nature, family, knowledge (it's power and the acquisition of), and science. This is not an all-inclusive list, but these ideas will pop up quite often.
What is epistemology? How does it play a role in the text thus far? In the future?

Discussion questions: use text evidence to support your claims

1. What is Walton's attitude toward his quest? What does his attitude reveal about his character?

2. Why do you think Walton feels lonely even though he is on board a ship with a full crew? Why do you think Walton is attracted to the stranger?

3. What details suggest that both Walton and the stranger are willing to make big sacrifices in the search for knowledge? Look at similarities and differences. Does knowledge promise immortality?

4. Why do you think Shelley chose to lead into the stranger's story by starting with a frame story about Robert?

Day 2: Where I'm From & more

2011-08-24T10:45:00.001-07:00

Poems, poems and more poems.

Pick a favorite line from someone else's poem (make it a complete thought or image or description) and put it on the board. This is the start of Chalk Talk.
After all comments are on the board, respond to four lines with constructive feedback. What is constructive feedback? Let's define that. Debrief the comments.
What's for homework for Tuesday? What does annotate mean? What's this about vocab? All questions answered as we dive into Frankenstein! Check out the essential documents for the syllabus and the vocab sheets.
Any questions or worries or anything, send me an email, stop by my office, or otherwise get in touch with me.

Welcome & Where I'm From

2011-08-22T15:39:00.000-07:00

Welcome & introductions

The Blog and all its glory
Essential documents: course information, syllabus, goals, etc
Name game: "My Name".

Let's get reading and writing

The poem to inspire your own writing.
Let's take a listen.
Discussion: Is there anything you aren't familiar with? Is there anything you notice in the poem? What kinds of things does Lyon list or describe? What kinds of details does she remember about her past?
Brainstorm: free write for 5 minutes about people, places and things that define who you are.

Let's turn those ideas into metaphors and similes.

Homework

Check syllabus on blog.

PAEE: 204-the end

2011-05-23T14:13:00.000-07:00

Quiz

Free write: "I struggled to my feet and began to walk. My father had been right — the paintings were not to be found — and had turned back as soon as he sensed this, which was almost instantly. I had gone on, blindly. I was a work on paper: weightless, sketchy, all impulse" (210). What is Max realizing about himself? What insight does this offer us into his character? Into the character of his father?

Now -- bring it to you. Reflect on and write about a time when your parents saw something more quickly than you did. And I'm not talking about seeing a spider or a deer crossing the road. I'm talking about seeing something monumental, something important that it took you a while to understand.

Discussion
1. Let's look at Micheline as she appears throughout the novel. In what ways does the discovery of Micheline make Max rethink his past?
2. On p. 220, Daniel says, "Let us never speak of this again." What does Daniel want to forget? Thin literally and figuratively.
3. p. 225: "And so my father's picture joined the other images in the lost museum of my mind."
4. p. 227: "The will told me Rose was most likely in Paris, and I felt a vague unpleasant anger toward the dead. How often had my father been in contact with her during my decades of faithful silence? With what knowledge had he died."
5. p. 231: "Did this mean that a son's love and grief for his father triumphed over all? Or that, in a moment of reckoning, I had seen and remembered nothing? I understood then that Rose had begun to bid only once I had stopped. She had been sent to Drouot's, or went of her own accord, in case I had forgotten what I would see there."
6. p. 231: "The shimmering of the city was also part of the canvas: Matisse's lemons seemed to float above the table and the white plate on which they might have rested, if they had been given rest. It was a still life that had not been granted stillness. I thought of the dimensions of the painting, of its flat and hovering planes, and that somewhere, in between the two, lingered those whom I had lost."

PAEE: 176-203

2011-05-18T11:02:00.000-07:00

Quiz

Max has a sister! What?! Where can we see Micheline in the text? Break up into groups and find her.

C block:

PAEE: 113-175

2011-05-16T11:05:00.000-07:00

Quiz

Free write: "Her every belonging, Madam van Seyveld said, has been replaced by something that resembled its predecessor but was fundamentally different" (123). This same sentiment was shared by many people after the war. We can even see this happening to Max as he is trying to replace Rose/their relationship and his father's paintings.

Option 1: Think about your character for the scrapbook project and write about something that was replaced in their lives with a similar yet "fundamentally different" item.

Option 2: Think about your own life and write about how something was replaced with something similar but "fundamentally different."

More art & history of Paris

Jacques Jaujard and more

Discussion
1. In what ways is Chaim's refusal to have his passport stamped "Deporté" a sign of his struggle with identity? struggle with insider/outsider dynamics?
2. What does Sara contrast Chaim and Max's war time experiences on p. 131?
3. In what ways has Max receded from the foreground of the action?
4. Exactly what did Rose do during the water and what is she trying to do now?

PAEE: 81-112

2011-05-10T09:53:00.000-07:00

Free write: What kind of city has Paris become for Max? Reference the specific descriptions used by the author.

Chalk talk of city descriptions

PAAE: 56-80

2011-05-05T22:16:00.000-07:00

Free write: The Old Castle

Discussion
1. "You love to learn, Max, you love to desire" (58) Is this a true assessment of Max as we, the reader, know him?
2. What role does Bertrand serve as this point in the novel?
3. Tone of the start of Chapter 6
4. Part 3: the homecoming. Let's read the chapter out loud. How would you describe the tone and mood of the chapter?

PAAE: 24-56

2011-05-04T13:04:00.000-07:00

Free write: How does absence register in our awareness? When we miss something or someone, how do we know that?

When Max notices his curiosity about Rose, it comes through the hot water he misses in his shower, from the outline of light cast from her window at night, from the empty chair at meals.

For your writing today, you have two choices. If you want, target this to your character for the scrapbook project. Imagine a journal entry in which your character is missing someone or something. By what means does your character measure what is not there? How is that someone or something known in its absence?

If you can’t imagine (at least right now) what or who your character would be missing, think about the phrase “the room was empty” and think of what an empty room contains that makes us know it as “empty”. Use all your senses. If you closed your eyes, for example, what would tell you about a room and it’s being empty?

Perhaps the room exercise will lead you later to something about your character.

More art: Matisse, Manet, & Degas

Pictures at an Exhibition Promenade, Gnome, The Old Castle

Discussion:
1. p. 41 — "When we stepped out into the light I became a man again, and we both let go." What has changed in the relationship between Max and his father? What did they both let go of?

2. p. 43 — "Or rather, that language for her was a necessity but not her preferred means of communication ... As an adolescent, this same kind of wish had led me to study Polish, secretly, for a few months in hopes that one day I would speak to my mother in a proud declarative sentence and she would answer me with joy and clarity." Max implies that there is some form of miscommunication going on between him and his mother. In what ways is the idea of miscommunication expressed in the novel thus far between Max/Daniel, Max/Rose, Rose/Daniel, Max/Eva, Eva/Daniel.

PAAE: 1-23

2011-04-28T12:05:00.000-07:00

Free write
Step 1: Think of a significant experience from 5+ years ago.
Step 2: In 6-8 sentences, describe the experience. This is a good time to practice showing not telling.
Step 3: In 6-8 sentences, describe the experience but capture the voice of your age when it happened. This is where your vocabulary and sentence structure and tone should match your younger age.
Step 4: How do age and reflection change our experience of an event? How do age and reflection express express themselves in our writing?

Discussion
Art is not what you see, but what you make others see. — Degas

Let's look at some artwork

1. Let's look at the narrator and how he is telling his story.

2. Goethe's Theory of Color

3. The relationship between Max and his father is somewhat tenuous. Why doesn't Daniel want Max to inherit the family's art gallery? Why did Daniel make Max rehearse the art of the gallery's past exhibits?

4. How does the author characterize Daniel, Max, Ava & Rose? What do we know about them so far?

GOW: It's all over

2011-03-10T21:18:00.000-08:00

Free write:
Reactions! It's over. Thoughts? Insights? What did you take away from the novel?

Discussion

1. What do the boxcars provide besides shelter?

2. In hiding, what decision does Tom make? How does Ma feel about that? What conclusion does Ma reach about the family? And what keeps them from giving up?

3. Ma articulates a big difference between men and women (see p. 423). Firstly, put her ideas into your own words and, secondly, what are your thoughts on her observations?
4. p. 432: Opening paragraph -- lets collect some verbs & images
5. Lots of talk about anger. What must be done with anger in order to overcome fear?
6. Steinbeck said, "I've done my damndest to rip the reader's nerves to rages; I don't want him satisfied." Did he succeed in doing that to you? If so, how did he accomplish it? If not, why weren't you affected in that way?

GOW: 27 & 28

2011-03-09T10:38:00.000-08:00

Free write: The Joads have been displaced many times. They lost their land, their home, and now they are slowly losing their family unit. Selecting only ONE Joad, answer the following question: In what way has displacement specifically affected your selected character? You want to think literally and figuratively. And you'll surely want to use the text to support your ideas.

Goal — Outline
1. Thesis (concise, arguable, unique)
2. Evidence (2-3 pieces)
3. How does the evidence support your thesis?

GOW: Chpts. 25 & 26ish

2011-02-22T17:31:00.000-08:00

Let's get creative

The Joads have left Weedpatch Camp. Life in the comfortable community is over, and things are going to get difficult. But somewhere in a moment of quiet, in a moment of solitude, each Joad has written a letter. Maybe the letter is to Muley Graves. Maybe it's a letter from Rose of Sharon to Connie. Maybe it's a letter to the land. Maybe it's a letter from Winfield to Noah. You get the idea. Regardless, your assignment is to 1. select a Joad from which to write a letter and 2. select a recipient of such a letter. And then ...

Guidelines

1. The letter must contain at least FIVE specific pieces of textual evidence about the journey and life thus far.

2. The letter must accurately capture the tone and mindset of the writer.

3. The letter must be in proper letter form (i.e. salutation, paragraphing, concluding sentiment, signature line, etc)

GOW: Chpts 22, 23, 24

2011-02-18T12:48:00.000-08:00

Free write: The Joad family shows ignorance to many modern conveniences (toilets, showers, etc) and ideas (unions). Reflect on a time when you were ignorant to either a modern convenience or product or idea. What did this ignorance teach you about yourself? Those around you? Who enlightened you? How could ignorance lead to struggles later on in life?

Let's check out Weed Patch.

Discussion
1. In what ways does Mr. Thomas represent the dilemma of the small farmer?
2. What do the events in Chpt 22 say about religion, charity and hard word? Who and what are the "reds"?
3. What role does order, dignity, and pleasure play in the lives of the migrants? Why are the locals trying to strip these things from the migrants' lives?

GOW: Chpts 20 & 21

2011-02-13T18:08:00.000-08:00

Free write:
Jim Casy sacrifices himself for the betterment of the Joad family. Think about a time when you had to sacrifice your own personal well-being for the well-being of someone else. How did you feel about making this sacrifice? How did the sacrifice change you? How did other people respond to your choice?

Discussion Questions:
1. Modern day Joad dilemma
2. What does Casy's attack on the deputy reveal about his character?
3. Why is Uncle John so upset? What does his response to his emotions tell us about his character?
4. What does Ma mean when she says, "Why, Tom — us people will go on livin' when all them people is gone. Why, Tom, we're the people that live. They ain't gonna wipe us out. Why, we're the people — we go on" (280).
5. There's a lot of change talked about in Chapter 21. Taking an educated yet totally unsupported guess, in what way do you think the migrants and the Joads will be changed? (be as specific as possible)

Character Check-ins:
As time permits, let's add to the character lists.

GOW: 1/2 18 & 19 — Part 2 is done!

2011-02-03T22:08:00.000-08:00

Free write:
1. How have the Joads been tested? How does their faith/hope survive?
2. What do you think of when you hear the phrase Promised Land? What have the Joads expected of their promised land? Has the idea of a promised land blinded the Joads in any way?
3. What character has been the strongest teacher/leader? Has any character emerged as a savior of any kind?

Bible & The Grapes of Wrath

Character Groups: What did we learn about your character during this journey?

Discussion:
1. p. 233: let's look at the use of the word Okie and how the narrator, a person we assume sides with the migrant worker, is able to turn the word around into something powerful instead of a slur of weakness.

GOW: Chpts 17 & 1/2 18

2011-02-01T21:13:00.000-08:00

Free write: There are the Okies and the native Californians. There are the migrants, those who were migrants (beaten down by the false promises and now returning to their land), and others. Society as the Joads know it is fractured and filled with us and thems, insiders and outsiders, the others.

Like the Joads, we all have felt on the inside and on the outside. Reflect on and write about a time when you were"the other", the outsider. Who put you there? How did it feel? In contrast, reflect on and write about a time when you "othered" some one. Why did you push someone to the outside? In reflection, how do you feel about your actions?

Discussion Questions:

1. What effect does the nightly camping have on the people heading for California? How does it give them strength and power? In what way does the night camp influence the identity of the migrant people?

2. What is the Joads' first view of California? What impressions of California do the father and son from the Panhandle provide?

20-30 minutes of in-class reading

GoW: Chpt 16

2011-01-30T15:47:00.000-08:00

Free write: "Ma, beside him, had folded her hands in her lap, had retired into a resistance against weariness. She sat loosely, letting the movement of the car sway her body and her head. She squinted her eyes ahead at the mountains. Rose of Sharon was braced against the movement of the car, her feet pushed tight against the floor, and her right elbow hooked over the door. And her plump face was tight against the movement, and her head jiggled sharply because her neck muscles were tight. She tried to arch her whole body as a rigid container to preserve her fetus from shock." (164)

Compare and contrast Ma & Rose of Sharon. Be specific in your comparison/contrast of the language used to describe each character. Come up with a thesis statement for a paragraph on this subject.

Reminder: close readings begin with an examination of language.

Character groups: quick check-in to add to your list. Be ready to report back to the group your findings on your character thus far. In three concise sentences, tell us about your character.

Discussion questions:

1. When the car breaks down, what is significant about Ma's reaction? How does this mechanical difficulty affect the relationship between Ma & Pa? Ma and the family? Tom & Al?

2. What advice does Tom offer the one-eyed man in the junkyard? What might the one-eyed man represent, metaphorically?

3. In the camping area, what information does the ragged man give to Pa about California? What effect does this information have on the Joads? (Pa, Tom, Al, & Ma)

GoW: 14 & 15

2011-01-27T09:05:00.000-08:00

Free write: Reflect on and write about a time when you realized there was more power in a "we" than in an "I".

Character Groups: check in. What have we learned about your character?

Discussion questions:
1. Chpt 14 repeats the following line:
"The Western land, nervous under the beginning change." (150)
"The Western States nervous under the beginning change." (151)
"The Western States are nervous under the beginning change." (152)

What are the literal differences between these lines? What impact do those differences have on the meanings of these lines? And why repeat this idea?

2. Chpt 15: What causes Mae's prejudice to fade?

3. In the introduction of The Grapes of Wrath, Michael Szalay says, "[Grapes] does not solves problems but makes compassion, empathy, and commitment not only possible but desirable in a class-stratisfies society" (xv). Where is this evident in Chapters 14 & 15.

GoW: Chpts 12&13 — Migration Begins

2011-01-24T09:39:00.000-08:00

Free write: "66 is the path of people in flight, refugees from dust and shrinking land, from the thunder of tractors and shrinking ownership, from the desert's slow northward invasion, from the twisting winds that howl up out of Texas, from the floods that bring no richness to the land and steal what little richness is there. From all of these the people are in flight, and they come into 66 from the tributary side roads, from the wagon tracks and the rutted country roads. 66 is the mother road, the road of flight" (118).

1. List all the significant verbs
2. List all the significant adjectives
3. List all the significant nouns
4. Using your word lists, describe the tone of this passage. Remember that when you talk about tone you use adjectives, and link your tone directly to the words of the passage.

Character groups: Quick check in with your group to add to your lists (5 min max)

Discussion questions:
1. Chapter 12 is somewhat chaotic in its narrative. Why do you think Steinbeck did that?
2. What is xenophobia and how can we see it expressed in these two chapters? How can you foresee it playing a large role in the remainder of the novel?
3. What is the first unpleasant event on the Joad's journey and what does it foreshadow about what lies ahead?
4. What's the significance of Granpa's death?
5. What is the value of Jim Casy's prayer on p.144? What are the Joads and the reader to take away from it?

GoW: 10 & 11 — Part 1 Concludes

2011-01-18T18:47:00.000-08:00

Character groups: Let's get down to business.

1. Look at a description passage pertaining to your character. A. List all of the verbs that stand out (significant actions). B. List all of the nouns that stand out (significant objects — possibly metaphorical). C. List all of the adjectives that stand out (descriptors). Think like writers. What techniques does Steinbeck use to create your character?

2. Share findings on the board OR on butcher paper OR in some other way .....

GOW: Chpts. 7, 8, 9

2011-01-17T21:37:00.000-08:00

Free write: Jim Casy says, "But when they're all workin' together, not one fella for another fella, but one fella kind of harnessed to the whole shebang — that's right, that's holy" (81). Write about a time when you were "harnessed to the whole shebang," when you were not working or doing for yourself or someone else, but for the larger community.

OR

"How can we live without our lives? How will we know it's us without our past?" (88). How has your past been a framework for who you are today? Think about three specific possessions that have shaped who you are. How might the absence of those objects in your daily affect your sense of self?

Character groups: What have we learned? Who have we met? Share away in groups and then report back to the larger group.

Discussion questions:
1. What is Tom's homecoming like? What does it reveal about the Joad family structure?
2. Three family members have asked Tom Joad if he busted out of jail. What does this reveal about the family? About Tom?

3. At the close of the chapter 9, the family (not the Joads) burns its belongings. Why?

4. What animals have we encountered in these chapters? What do they signify/connote?

5. Looking back at Chpts 1, 3, 5, 7 & 9, what have we learned about life in Oklahoma? These descriptive chapters definitely pack a punch in terms of showing the reader about life on the plains. Summarize each chapter into one or two sentences, focusing on the major themes and ideas expressed.

GOW: Chpts 5 & 6

2011-01-11T21:29:00.000-08:00

Free write: Muley Graves mentions the idea of the hunter versus the hunted. Think of a time when you were the hunter and compare it to a time when you were the hunted. How did your sense of self vary in the two different situations? How did you act differently? Similarly?

Character groups: we learn something about almost all of the selected characters even if they haven't made a first-hand appearance in the text.

Discussion Questions:
1. Chapter five address a stark contrast between an "us" and a "them". How does this dichotomy erode community? Think about the tone created in this chapter and the language that leads you to that tone.
2. How does prioritizing the self negatively/positively affect a community?
3. How does Steinbeck use Muley's connection with the land as a way to suggest he might be crazy/"touched"? What does this connection with the land say about it's role in forming Muley's identity?
4. What kinds of animals have we seen in these chapters and what might those animals represent? Look closely at the last few lines of Chpt 6. What is Steinbeck trying to convey about life on the plains?

Grapes of Wrath: Chpts 1-4

2011-01-06T12:53:00.000-08:00

1. A little free write post-video to get us thinking about the Joads and their migration.
You suddenly have to leave your home. You must leave your belongings behind, and, aside from a few clothes, you can take only four of your possessions. What would you take? In a letter to a friend, identify these possessions. Then explain what those items mean to you and why you chose as you did. Include your feelings about the items you had to leave behind and any anger or frustration that you felt, as well as sadness.

2. Introduce idea of character analysis
3. What do the first two paragraphs tell us about the story? Looking closely at the language, what kind of tone is set? (remember when we talk about tone we use adjectives)
4. How is the idea of struggle set forth in the first four chapters?
5. What's up with that turtle? What could the turtle symbolize?

Exam handout!

2010-12-11T17:04:00.001-08:00

Here is the handout you received via email.

Tempest: Act 5

2010-11-16T18:19:00.000-08:00

1. Check journals and vocab
2. Let's get down to business:

Discussion Questions

The Basics:
1.What does Prospero do before Ariel brings in Alonso and the others?
2. How does Prospero treat his prisoners as they awake? How do they respond? Specifically, how does he treat Sebastian and Antonio? How do they respond?
3. What are Ferdinand and Miranda doing when they appear? How is the game going?
4. How does Gonzalo interpret all that has happened?
5. How many ways can we understand Prospero's comment on Caliban? How does Caliban respond to what has happened to him?
6. What will happen next? What happens to Ariel?

Big Picture:
1. What does it mean to forgive?
2. What do you think of Prospero as the play closes?
3. What are we to think of Prospero's epilogue? What if this is Shakespeare's final farewell?

Tempest: Act 4, Sc 1

2010-11-11T10:09:00.000-08:00

1. Check journals & books

Discussion Questions

What has Prospero agreed to at the beginning of the scene? What warning does he give to Ferdinand and Miranda?

What instructions does Prospero have for Ariel (4.1.35-38)?

What happens in the show (masque) that Prospero presents for Ferdinand and Miranda (4.1.60-139)? What is the subject of the show? Why is it appropriate?

Why does Prospero cut short the show? How do Ferdinand and Miranda respond to what happens (4.1.143-145)? How does Prospero explain the show and his actions (4.1.146-163)?

According to Ariel (4.1.171-184), what has happened to Caliban, Stephano, and Trinculo since we last saw them?

What does Prospero tell Ariel to prepare for Caliban, Stephano, and Trinculo? What is Prospero's reaction to what Caliban has done (4.1.188-193)? Is his reaction justified?

What happens when Caliban, Stephano, and Trinculo come to kill Prospero? How are they driven away?

How does Prospero respond to his successes (4.1.262-266)?

Tempest Act 3, Sc 3

2010-11-08T21:06:00.000-08:00

1. Check journals & vocab
2. Discussion questions: How does the apparition of the banquet affect Alonso and his entourage? How is the banquet used as a symbol? Why aren’t the men allowed to eat the food? Is this an effective moment for Ariel to accuse them of their sins?

Quiz time! You'll be fabulous.

Act 3, Sc 1 & 2

2010-11-05T12:39:00.000-07:00

1. Sentence fun
2. Check vocab, books and journal

Free write
1. Thinking about 3.1, what is Shakespeare suggesting about the true nature of love?
2. Thinking about 3.2, why include this subplot that mirrors the conspiracy of the nobles?

Let's make a family tree.

Tempest: Act 2, Sc 2

2010-11-02T11:11:00.000-07:00

1. Quiz
2. Sentence
3. Check books, journal & vocab

Discussion
1. Is it surprising that Caliban willingly worships Stephano and desires to give him control of the island? If that’s true, then why did Caliban resent Prospero for usurping taking what he considers his own rightful claim to the island? What does this show about Caliban?

Drawing fun!

The Tempest: Act 2, Sc 1

2010-10-29T06:51:00.000-07:00

1. Sentence fun

2. Check vocab & books & journal

3. Let's get playing & discussing

Discussion Questions
1. What type of person is Gonzalo? What was his role in the plot against Prospero? Does his behavior seem consistent with how he acts now?

2. Sebastian and Antonio ridicule Gonzalo. What does this tell us about their characters?

3. Antonio incites Sebastian to kill his brother and take the crown of Naples. Why? What does this tell us about Antonio’s motives? What does Sebastian’s response tell us about him? What could Shakespeare be saying about human nature?

4. Gonzalo's idea of a nation: the Utopia.

The Tempest: Act 1, Sc 2

2010-10-28T09:14:00.000-07:00

1. Sentence fun
2. Check books & vocab
3. Discussion

Scene 2
1.What’s the history between Prospero & Antonio? How does Prospero assert his authority & his own truth? In what ways does this relationship express the theme of usurpation? (lines 36-168)

2.What’s the history between Prospero & Ariel? How does Prospero assert his authority? In what ways does this relationship express the theme of servant/master? (lines 189-299)

3. What’s the history between Prospero & Caliban? In what ways does Prospero assert his authority? How does this relationship express the idea of colonialism? (lines 307-373)

The Tempest: Act 1, Sc 1

2010-10-24T20:57:00.000-07:00

1. Sentence fun
2. Check props
3. Introduce vocab
4. Let's get playing

Discussion Questions
Scene 1
In two groups, act out scene one. Note that the opening scene takes place on a ship at sea during a terrible storm. (Why is it significant that the play begins with a storm at sea?) How can the fury of the waves and wind be shown on stage? Be sure to address the following:
a. How do you perform the first stage direction?
b. How can actors' movements suggest a ship caught in a storm?
c. How might you convey the sense of fear & crisis? These are people who are desperately concerned to save their lives. Do they panic or are they well disciplined?
d. What simple props do you need to convey the scene.

As time permits:
Scene 2
1. This scene opens with Miranda's compassion for the people caught in the tempest. Some productions show Prospero as a powerful magician; others, a quiet man. How would you stage the first sight of Prospero and Miranda to greatest dramatic effect?

The Frankenstein Research Project!

2010-10-11T21:48:00.000-07:00

Our final piece of work on our favorite novel.

Remember to check the syllabus for the time-line and due date of this project. We will be working in the library all this week, so please meet there for class.

Frankenstein: The end =-(

2010-10-01T10:03:00.000-07:00

1. Finish up debate!
2. Review sentence patterns thus far.

Discussion questions
1. What's the difference between regret & remorse?
2. In chapter 7, find ways in which Victor & the creature have become identical.
3. Who are we the reader meant to sympathize with?

Frankenstein, Vol 3, Chpts 4-6

2010-09-29T11:01:00.000-07:00

1. Learn a new sentence!
2. Check books and vocab
3. The great debate!

Frankenstein: Vol. 3, Chpts 1-3

2010-09-27T11:07:00.000-07:00

1. New Sentence
2. Check books and vocab whilst you free write: Must a person experience desperation to know the true meaning of joy? Must a person know hunger to really understand the concept of being full? In other words, must we experience opposite emotions to truly understand life?

Discussion Questions
1. Where does Victor travel in Chpts 1-2? In what way does the journey further develop Victor's character? Clerval's?
2. Close reading p. 168-169. Let's look at tone and mood
3. At the close of Chpt 2 Victor says, "I looked towards its completion with a tremulous and eager hope, which I dared not trust myself to question, but which was intermixed with obscure forebodings of evil, that made my heart sick in my bosom" (169). Remember that Victor is telling a story. Using only this passage, what does Victor want the listener/reader to think of him?
4. At the start of Chpt 3 the creature says, "Shall each man ... find a wife for his bosom, and each beast have his mate, and I be alone? I had feelings of affection, and they were requited by detestation and scorn" (172). Is the creature's argument a reasonable one? If so, in what way does this develop Victor's character and the creature's?

Frankenstein Vol. 2, Chpts 8-9

2010-09-21T12:21:00.000-07:00

1. Sentence
2. Book & vocab review (while students are free writing)

Discussion Questions

1. Free write: "As I read, however, I applied much personally to my own feelings and condition. I found myself similar, yet at the same time strangely unlike to the beings concerning whom I read, and to whose conversation I was a listener. I sympathised with and partly understood them, but I was unformed in mind; I was dependent on none, and related to none" (131).

In what ways are you like the creature?

2. Now, let's look at Erikson and how the creature and Victor compare.Where are the two men on the scale of development? What are the effects of their knowledge?

3. Paradise Lost, Plutarch's Lives, Sorrow of Werter

Frankenstein: Vol. 2, Chpts 5-7

2010-09-17T12:03:00.000-07:00

1. New sentence pattern! Yes, a new one.
2. Check books & vocab
3. Vocab review

Discussion questions
1. Themes (recurring idea in a novel): C block: outsider v insider, identity in the context of others, loneliness, loss, creature v creator, search for knowledge, weather's impact on mood, weather's impact on people, nature v nurture. F block: identity, self-knowledge, self-reflection, misfortune, search for knowledge, good v evil, fate v free will, divine power, family, heart v mind, nature's influence on man/society, curiosity, story-telling, appearance v reality, acceptance of self and society, depression , fall of man, nature v science, faith v science.
**How do these themes work on the level of the self? society? universe/world?

2. What is the most important thing the creature learns about mankind from the De Lacey family?(Let's learn SPA!) Follow-up: what are the outcomes of his learning?

Frankenstein Vol. 2, Chpts 1-4

2010-09-14T21:07:00.000-07:00

1. Sentence review!
2. Check books and vocab
3. Review vocab

Discussion questions
1. At the close of chapter 1, in what ways has Victor changed? How does Shelley use Victor's fascination with nature to remind us of his actions against nature?
2. Close reading: p. 100 ("The ascent is precipitous, ...) — what is the tone of this paragraph? Is this Victor's way of expressing remorse for his actions?
3. "You accuse me of murder, and yet you would, with satisfied conscience, destroy your own creature. Oh, praise the eternal justice of man!" (103). Victor believes in an eye-for-an-eye. Is that justice or revenge?
4. How does the tone and language change from chapter three to chapter 4? What does this reveal about the creature's development?

NOTE: track the language of the creature. Pay close attention to when it is overtly negative and overtly positive. What's the correlation between his language and his sense of self? And the correlation between nature and Victor's sense of self.

Frankenstein: Vol 1, Chpts 5-6

2010-09-08T12:51:00.000-07:00

1. Sentence time! Last one before we review the different ones we've learned.
2. Check books and annotations
3. Review vocab words
4. Architecture handout
5. Review denotation and connotation

Discussion questions
1. Who is at fault for William's death? Is anyone other than the murderer responsible for what happened?
2. In chapter 7, what statement suggests that Victor views the creature as part of himself?
3. In what ways does Victor's guilt affect his health? What is Shelley's purpose in this recurring plot device?

Frankenstein: Vol. 1, Chpts 4-6

2010-09-07T09:07:00.000-07:00

1. Let's learn a new sentence!
2. Check books and vocab
3. Review vocab
4. Free write for five minutes: Looking at the passage on p. 54 ("Learn from me ... than he who aspires to become greater than his nature will allow.) In what ways does Victor's warning relate to all mankind?
5. Review architecture handout.

Discussion questions

In what ways does Shelley display Victor's hubris? Look particularly at teh contrast in Victor's desire to conquer nature yet ignore its beauty.

Chpt. 5: Close reading of passage on pp. 58-59. Lesson on connotation (an idea or feeling that a word invokes in a person in addition to its literal/primary meaning) and denotation (the literal/primary meaning of a word, in contrast to the feelings or ideas that the word suggests). Step 1: read passage out lout. Step 2: read silently and circle/underline all words with negative connotations/denotations. Big question: hat kind of tone is Shelley trying to create around the the Creature's creation and creator?

Frankenstein: Vol. 1 Chpts 1-3

2010-08-31T21:35:00.000-07:00

Frankenstein: The Letters

2010-08-30T10:39:00.000-07:00

1. Let's learn a new sentence pattern! You love the semi-colon!
2. Check books
3. Check and review vocab
4. Some background.

Who was Mary Shelley? What is this Frankenstein we speak of?
Some major themes we'll see: fate vs free will, personal responsibility, loneliness, nature, family, knowledge (it's power and the acquisition of), and science. This is not an all-inclusive list, but these ideas will pop up quite often.
What is epistemology? How does it play a role in the text thus far? In the future?

Discussion questions: use text evidence to support your claims

1. What is Walton's attitude toward his quest?

2. Why do you think Walton feels lonely even though he is on board a ship with a full crew?

3. Why do you think Walton is attracted to the stranger?

4. What details suggest that both Walton and the stranger are willing to make big sacrifices in the search for knowledge?

5. How are these two men alike? different?

6. Why do you think Shelley chose to lead into the stranger's story by starting with a frame story about Robert?

Day 1 fun: Where I'm From

2010-08-26T11:52:00.000-07:00

Poems, poems and more poems.

Pick a favorite line from your poem (make it a complete thought or image or description) and put it on the board. This is the start of Chalk Talk.
After all comments are on the board, respond to four lines with constructive feedback. What is constructive feedback? Let's define that. Debrief the comments.
What's for homework for Tuesday? What does annotate mean? What's this about vocab? All questions answered as we dive into Frankenstein! Check out the essential documents for the syllabus and the vocab sheets.
Any questions or worries or anything, send me an email, stop by my office, or otherwise get in touch with me.

Welcome & Where I'm From

2010-08-23T15:39:00.000-07:00

Welcome & introductions

The Blog and all its glory
Essential documents: course information, syllabus, goals, etc
Name game: Interview someone you do not know for six minutes. Really listen and take notes. Organize your notes into a short presentation about your partner.

Let's get reading and writing

The poem to inspire your own writing.
Let's take a listen.
Discussion: Is there anything you aren't familiar with? Is there anything you notice in the poem? What kinds of things does Lyon list or describe? What kinds of details does she remember about her past?
Brainstorm: free write for 5 minutes about people, places and things that define who you are.

Let's turn those ideas into metaphors and similes.

Homework

Check syllabus on blog.

Intros, Titles, Conclusions and more!

2009-05-22T09:45:00.000-07:00

Here is the handout to help with the beginning and end of your essay.

Remember -- the essay is due on Tuesday at 3pm. Please bring it to my office OR have Lindsay put it in my mailbox. Remember the rough draft, the body paragraph handout and the final -- all together. If I don't have it by 3pm, it is late. nnnnnnooooooooooo.

Body Paragraph Work

2009-05-20T08:37:00.001-07:00

Here is the handout for refining your body paragraphs. While we will do this only once in class, you can use this again and again ... and even next year. It was passed on to me by J and Nicole. They attended a conference and learned some super cool stuff!

Thesis work

2009-05-18T13:19:00.000-07:00

Here is the handout for thesis work. This could prove helpful for other classes as well!

Final Analytical Essay

2009-05-14T11:53:00.000-07:00

Here are more details.

Come to tutorial, ask questions in class, check the syllabus for the timeline of this essay.

Preparing for Battle Writing

2009-04-28T09:07:00.001-07:00

Here it is!

Vocab Books 19, 20, 21

2009-04-28T09:05:00.001-07:00

Here it is!

Vocab List Books 16, 17, 18

2009-04-15T10:04:00.000-07:00

Check it out! You love vocab.

Quiz is on Friday April 24.

Homecoming writing assignment

2009-04-12T17:37:00.001-07:00

Click here for the handout given in class.

Vocab List: Books 13-15

2009-03-17T15:52:00.000-07:00

Here is the list for the first vocab quiz.

Our first quiz will be on Thursday 3.26!

I know you can't wait.

Odyssey Study Guide

2009-03-16T08:36:00.000-07:00

This will get you through the remainder of the book. I handed out the first two pages — up to book 17 — but this includes the final seven. Yippie!

Materials for Missing Scene

2009-03-02T13:31:00.000-08:00

Original handout. Notice the change in the length of the soliloquy. It need only be 7 lines. Could be longer, if you like.

Here is the format to follow.

Here is the rubric.

Iambic Pentameter Practice.

If you have any questions, post them to the blog and I will answer them as best I can. I will also be at tutorial on the Tuesday before this is due. We can chat them

Act 3 homework form

2009-02-01T08:44:00.000-08:00

Click HERE to access the Act 3 form. This is different from previous nights.

Journal Guidelines

2009-01-12T09:51:00.000-08:00

Click this for the reading responses guidelines.

Exam Review Materials

2008-12-01T10:23:00.001-08:00

This post will be updated with other materials as we use them in class.

Review Sheet

Theme list

Identification practice

Close reading practice

Image analysis practice

Wizard of Oz Materials

2008-12-01T10:04:00.000-08:00

Wizard of Oz essay topics handout.

Formatting for the outline part of the bare bones essay.

Picture of the Hero's Journey/Quest/Cycle. Just to refresh your memory.

And another link to the original Hero's Cycle/Journey/Quest handout.

Odyssey Poems

2008-11-21T09:16:00.000-08:00

Ancient Gesture & Odysseus to Telemachus

Poetry Analysis Form

Writing tips

2008-11-13T09:14:00.000-08:00

Check out these valuable writing tips to improve your work.

Need some examples of good writing? Check these out. Sample one (parts of a paragraph highlighted). Sample two (you highlight the required parts of the paragraph).

Good luck writing! Use your class time wisely. Ask me questions. Ask your peers questions. Use tutorial time for a little extra boost.

Writing Odyssey Part 2

2008-11-11T11:23:00.000-08:00

Thesis statement handout. This is due on Thursday. You must fill out this form.

Writing Odyssey assignment, guidelines, requirements, etc ...

Book 12 information

2008-11-11T11:18:00.002-08:00

Here's the handout to break down the important obstacles in this book.

Book 11 information

2008-11-11T11:18:00.001-08:00

Here's the handout to help with the important shades Odysseus encounters.

Book 10 Themes & Passages

2008-11-05T15:17:00.000-08:00

Here is the handout we used in class to talk about some of the major themes of the text thus far.

check it out

Study Guide: Books 9-12

2008-10-21T21:27:00.000-07:00

Here is the next installment of the Mary Guide.

Writing Odyssey Part 1

2008-10-21T21:22:00.001-07:00

Here's the handout from the post Book 8 writing assignment. Remind yourself of the nightly homework and what you need to complete in class each day.

Book 7 & 4 Comparison

2008-10-17T13:08:00.000-07:00

Remind yourself on the similarities between Book 7 & Book 4.