Holden at 50:

http://www.newyorker.com/archive/2001/10/01/011001fa_FACT3?printable=true

Soph Lit:

Today in class:

We started with Quiz #3 on Catcher (CH 12-14)

We went to the computer lab and wrote letters to Holden.

We will most likely finish the book next week, with about 30-40 pages per night. If you are a slower reader, you may wish to use the weekend to get a bit ahead so that you are able to keep up next week.
Have a great weekend.

Brit Lit:

Today in class:

We went to the computer lab and finished your first paper. Please make sure that you get this passed in if you were absent or not able to complete the assignment.

We worked hard this week- enjoy your weekend HW free.

World of Shakespeare:

Today in class:

We were able to get through about 1/2 of your musical scores. We will finish the rest Friday.

We shared our Desdemona/Othello secret love notes.

We played Othello Olympics and nobody was hurt.

We re-enacted the rough boat ride and discussed Shakespeare's use of water and the sea in his plays. Symbolically, could this be the calm before the storm?

I had you show the effects of the storm through your body language and stress of words.

Remember: how you would have given anything for those 5 last minutes in the sun in the middle of January. Always stop and smell the flowers.....life moves too fast, especially in high school.

Soph Lit:

Today in class:

Journal #7: The truth. It is a beautiful and terrible thing and should therefore be treated with great caution. J.K. Rowling

We listened to your selected musical score for Catcher. I have posted a few of the best examples of that lesson. I passed out the parole statement for Mark David Chapman in 2000. We continued to ask the question: Can a book make you do bad things? Should this book be required reading in HS? What specifically does this book bring out in people?

HW: Please use tonight to catch up on your reading if you are behind. We will start with a quiz on 12-14 Friday.

Brit Lit:

Today in class:

I introduced 14 century writing with Chaucer. We began the Canterbury Tales. I broke you into study groups and each group needed to report back to the class about your section.

HW: Please work on your Hero paper, which is due at the end of class Friday.

Soph Lit:

The Murder of John Lennon: Mark David Chapman's Statement

Then this morning I went to the bookstore and bought The Catcher in the Rye. I'm sure the large part of me is Holden Caulfield, who is the main person in the book. The small part of me must be the Devil.

World of Shakespeare:

You may find this clip of interest in understanding what Othello is up against:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jHB95FZndcc

Soph Lit:

Journal #6 " All you need is love." The Beatles

Today we had a quiz on CH 7-11

HW: Please read ch 12, 13, 14. Also, find a piece of music that matches the mood and tone of the novel and bring it in to class. Thursday you will be "scoring" the page that you selected.

Soph Lit:

Today:

We finished the last 5 min. of Shakespeare in Love.
I introduced the tivo and explained how we use it to pause and control classroom performances.
We did small commercials to get us warmed up.
We worked on Act 1.

Last 10 minutes, I had you take Othello's 11 lines on Pg 37 and convert them into modern English.

No HW

Soph Lit:

Today in class:

We started with journal #5: Education has produced a vast population able to read but unable to distinguish what is worth reading. G.M. Trevelyan

We looked at your ipod playlists. We speculated what Holden would have on his play list. We did a profile assignment on what the play list would say about the person. Can music define a person?

We discussed Ch 8-10.

I passed back your last quizzes. Papers back this Wed.

We concluded our debate on censorship.

HW: Please read CH 11-12

Brit Lit:

Today in class:

We looked at the next evolution in storytelling: using music to help remember the tale. We "sung" Sir Patrick Spens, Get Up and Bar the Door, and the Twa Corbies. All three were mixed live in class with drum beats and a bit O' the blues on this Tuesday morn.

Second half, I broke you into groups of two and asked you to make a modern ballad which followed the rules that we went over in class. These had to have 4 lines each stanza X 10.

HW: Please read Barbara Allen on Pg. 85. For each line (36) please convert each to modern English.

Wed we will watch the documentary on The Power of Myth. Tuesday and Friday I have us in the computer lab to work on you 1st paper.

Think:

The name Wendy was made up for the story of Peter Pan.

Brit Lit:

Today we finished Beowulf and I assigned your first paper. Here is the link of Cambell for those that may be interested:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Campbell#Film

Here is the assignment:
The Hero’s Quest
Over the last week, we have looked at the classical definition of a hero. Specifically, we discussed the research and findings of Joseph Cambell. He believed that mythology was our one single truth as humans, and these stories connected us all in a very deep and spiritual way.

In a 3-4 page traditional 5 paragraph typed paper, please take a popular movie, play, or novel, and examine how it fits Cambell’s classical definition. Please use the sheet that I gave you on this. You may pick any hero that you feel fits this mold, however, here are some suggestions that would work well: Pinocchio, Dumbo, Star Wars (1st 3), the Matrix, The Lion King, Indiana Jones, Batman, Harry Potter

Your paper needs to have a clear thesis and you must use solid examples in your body to answer the question.