Shakespeare

Journal Prompt:

I gave you a humorous picture and asked you to tell the story of the photo in 1,000 words.  If you were absent, either find a humorous picture on your own, or I can give you one in class on wed.  3-4 pages.

I passed back your Othello test. 

We began The 12th Night.  Please read act 1. sc 1-3 for HW if you were absent due to the play performance.

HW:  Please define the humor terms that I gave you in class.  I will be checking your definitions in class on wed.

Brit Lit:

Journal Prompt:  A picture is said to be 1,000 words.  I gave everyone in class a picture and asked you to write a 1000 word story based on the photo.

We continued working on Act 3 in Macbeth.

Shakespeare:

Today we looked at two drastically different endings: The classical Othello, and the modern version, O.  We discussed what draws us to pain in stories. Why do we like endings like Othello?

We then went over some of your HW comments about humor.  I played two short clips to illustrate timing and slapstick.  As we move into our first comedy, we will be continually examining the funny in Shakespeare's plays.

I also gave out a character list for the next play to help with the whose, who.

Brit Lit

Today, I lost a bet with Mr. Metz and supported your learning by dressing up in an embarrassing costume for the day.

We finished the documentary, Shakespeare Behind Bars, and had a good talk about the film.

C Block:  We also did a short writing assignment that had me play 15 sound effects, while to Incorporated them into a story at the same time.Some utterly bizarre creativity on this one....

I also gave C Block back their corrected journals today.  Please continue to keep up with these.  They continue to be worth a paper grade and can tremendously help your grade average for my class.

Enjoy the three day weekend....

Shakespeare:

Today:  You took the exam for Othello.  This will be your fist grade for term 3.

I also collected your books and passed out our next play- The Twelfth Night.

HW:  Please list 10 things that you find funny.  These can be specific, or general.  What makes YOU laugh....

We will be examining humor tomorrow as we head into our first comedy.  Does comedy hold up as well 430 years after?

Brit Lit:

Today:

We caught up on our notes. 

We covered all the remaining events in Act 2. 

We defined the exciting force that sets the rise in action (death of Duncan) and looked at the climax of the play in act 3 (Macbeth becomes king.)  Being a tragedy, now we meet the first fall.  This is also when all of Shakespeare gets especially good in my opinion...

Block A: You also caught up on the act 2 quiz today.

Shakespeare

Today:
We reviewed act 5.  Specifically, we discussed what works in the ending, and what does not.

We played the review game, Who Wants to Win a Pizza Party.  This was to review for the test Wed.

HW:  Please look over your notes and review the play.

Brit Lit:

A Block:  We participated in a mock presidental debate with Mr. Metz's history class.  In a close debate, we lost 2-1.  Thanks to Mr. Metz for inviting us to participate in this worthwhile educational activity.

C Block:
 We broke into two large groups and I tasked you to show the play so far, backwards.

Shakespeare:

Today:

Journal Prompt #18:

If you could change a character, prop, line, or event in the play Othello that would drastically change the outcome of act 5, what could you change?  CPA: 1/2 page H: full page.

We then took the best and showed these in a small skit.

HW:  Please finish the play.  Review on Tuesday, test this Wed.

Brit Lit:

Today:

A Block spent the shortened block finishing our prep for the presidential debate with Mr. Metz's class Tuesday.

B Block:  We continued reading act 3.

Shakespeare:

We reviewed act 4, sc1. 

We acted out act 4, sc 2 with the aid of a tivo remote.  I had you each pause the action and suggest a new motivation for the lines in the scene.

Please have the play read by Tuesday.  We will have a test on the play next wed.

Have a wonderful weekend.

Brit Lit:

Today:

A Block went to the lib. to research information to prepare for our debate with Mr. Metz's class on Tuesday.  Please continue to research your position over the weekend.

We reviewed act 2 and began act 3.  Block C also took a quiz on act 2.

Shakespeare:

Yesterday:  I shared my Irish ghost story.

Today:  We had a guest teacher from Sweden share with our class a collection of videos that her students made.

We had the opportunity to ask her questions about the differences between our two countries. 

We agreed to work on a few collaborative projects with the classes from Sweden.

Please be ready for the quiz on act 4, sc 1.

Brit Lit:

Tuesday-Wed.

Welcome back.  I am sorry for the lack of updates.  I have been without power.

Yesterday:

I told my ghost story from my time teaching there.  Happy Halloween!

Today:

We finished Act 2.
I informed people that are still missing assignments.  The term closes Friday, but I will accept them through this Monday.

We took notes on act 2.

Last call for those that still needed to recite their Macbeth lines.

Shakespeare:

Today:

I passed back a handful of assignments.

We watched a modern parody of the play Othello, O.

Have a great weekend.

DVD's soon!

Brit Lit:

Today:



We recited our ten lines of Shakespeare. To those that went, I was exceptionally proud of you.

We then caught up on the film version of the play.

I passed back a bunch of assignments- some with no names. If you did not get everything back, please see me to make up or claim your work with no name.


Have a great weekend!

Further reading from today....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mozart_effect

Shakespeare:

Journal Prompt: "A good idea will keep you awake during the morning, but a great idea will keep you awake during the night." Marilyn Vos Savant 1-2 pages


I passed out permission forms for the movie O.  Please return these if your parent or guardian has an objection to you watching this Friday in class.  A meaningful alternative assignment will be given if you are unable to view it :-)

We talked about being interviewed for the Town Common Story.  I can't wait to read it.  Thanks Jen!

We paired up and looked at finding emotion in the lines of act III.  I gave you a group worksheet and we completed these.

I went over relationships in the play thus far.  I gave you a handout to assist in this.

HW:  I gave you an early version of the same story that pre-dates Shakespeare.  Please read this for HW.

Brit Lit:

Journal Prompt:  "A good idea will keep you awake during the morning, but a great idea will keep you awake during the night."                                                                                                    Marilyn Vos Savant                             1-2 pages

We tried the Mozart effect to help you learn you 10 lines due Friday.

W looked at Act 2

HW:  Lines due.

Shakespeare:

Thank you for you willingness to answer questions from the reporter visiting our class today.  I remain very proud of the project that we did together. Thanks for all of your kind words.  That stuff means everything to me as a teacher.   I will let you all know when the article runs and try to get a few extra copies.

Today, we reviewed Act 3.  Act 3 is a tough act.  If you found it difficult, stay with it.  It gets easier.

We took a quiz on act 3.

We did not complete a journal today.

I will be collecting your assessments Thursday.  Please make sure that you have them.

Brit Lit:

Today:  We had a student select the quote for our daily journal.  If you were absent, please ask for the quote in class.

We finished taking notes on Act 1.

We took a quiz on Act 1.

I suggested that often Shakespeare leaves a most desired scene out.  Why does he not show us the death of Duncan?

I asked you to try and recreate the missing scene.

Shakespeare:

We continued with quote week for our journal prompts:
"A good manager is best when people barely know that he exists. Not so good when people obey and acclaim him. Worse when the despise him." Leo Tzu 1/2 page.

We acted out act 3, sc 3.  Yesterday we focused on using a musical score to enhance the meaning of the lines.  Today, we worked on sound effects and costumes.

HW:  Please finish act 3.

Brit Lit:

We continued with quote week for our journal prompts:

"A good manager is best when people barely know that he exists.  Not so good when people obey and acclaim him.  Worse when the despise him."        Leo Tzu   1/2 page.

I broke you into small groups and tasked you with:

A dry reading
A reading with blocking
A reading with sound effects

We combined these and performed them for the class.

HW:  Continue to learn your 10 Macbeth lines.

Shakespeare:

Journal Prompt:



"Education is what remains after one has forgotten everything one has learned in school." Einstein

Explain what this quote means to you in 1/2 a page.

We went over the Hamlet evaluations.

We discussed music in Shakespeare's plays.

I broke you into small groups to identify 10-15 lines that would be enhanced by a musical score (see video below)



HW:

Evaluations due this Wed.

Write a lost letter or diary entry for Iago.  The letter should identify his plans to destroy Othello.

Brit Lit

Journal Prompt:

"Education is what remains after one has forgotten everything one has learned in school."  Einstein

Explain what this quote means to you in 1/2 a page.

We reviewed the Macbeth lines- 10 lines memorized by this Friday.

We caught up on our notes.

W began Act 2

Good viewing

http://www.ted.com/talks/ken_robinson_changing_education_paradigms.html

http://boston.cbslocal.com/video/7851900-one-last-thing-shakespeare-gangnam-style/

Worth a listen:

http://www.muziboo.com/kevinbracken/

In the news....

Brit Lit:

Journal Prompt:


College Prompt Week Continues...this time from Notre Dame University, 1993:

Please select a technical innovation from the last century and explain what life would be without this item. 1 page

We took notes on Act 1.  A Block wrote a letter from Macbeth to Lady Macbeth.

We looked at the Roman Polanski version of the play.

World of Shakespeare:

Journal Prompt:

College Prompt Week Continues...this time from Notre Dame University, 1993:

Please select a technical innovation from the last century and explain what life would be without this item.     1 page

We looked act 1 of Hamlet in film form.  Specifically, we looked at the the additions in the opening 15 minutes.  Were they needed?

We announced your Heralds from HW.  I appreciated your wit.

HW:  Please review act 1-2(again).  Quiz Wed.

WBZ News

Tonight, at 5:57, WBZ CH 4 news in Boston will be doing a story on the Hamlet video that my Shakespeare class produced.

I hope you all get on TV!  It is well deserved!  Record it!

Journal Prompt: Imagine that you have written a 300 page autobiography. Please write pg 217.


1 page.

Over the next three days, we will be looking at three different college essay prompts. We will also use each one to demonstrate how specific types of prompts can be handled.

A Block:  We went on stage and covered blocking and the importance of stage movement.  We defined an aside.

C Block:  We wrote a letter from Macbeth to Lady Macbeth.  I counted this as a quiz.

World of Shakespeare

Today:

Journal Prompt:  Imagine that you have written a 300 page autobiography.  Please write pg 217.

1 page.

Over the next three days, we will be looking at three different college essay prompts.  We will also use each one to demonstrate how specific types of prompts can be handled.

We took a quiz on the Shakespeare terms.

I passed back many assignments.  We will be collecting some of your best work in folders this year.  I asked you to place your 5 stages of grief assignment and your Hamlet project in your folder.  You are always welcome to bring these home, but please make sure that they return to class.

Our video has over 400 views in 20 hours!

http://www.ncte.org/dayonwriting

Watch this

http://hamletgangnamstyle.com

wos

Today:

We watched the final version of Hamlet, Gangnam Style.  Thank you to all of you for reminding me why teaching is still so much fun!

As soon as it gets the official green light to share, it will be posted on our class owned web site:
https://www.hamletgangnamstyle.com/

We acted Act 2, sc 1-2.  Please finish sc 2 for HW, and study the terms that I gave you.

Brit Lit:

Today:

Journal Prompt #13:

Please write a one page letter to yourself in the past.

We worked on 5 improv scenes that will tie in with the events in Macbeth.  Hopefully, the skits will help with your understanding some of the themes in the play.

We watched the battle sequence from the movie Braveheart to show what is was like to be returning from a battle that would be described as "two swimmers that cling to each other."

We acted Act 1, sc 2-3

Shakespeare:

I gave you each a line of verse from a Shakespeare play. Each row was tasked with one of the following:


Stress
Inflection
Emotion.

We talked about how each of these can help with giving life and feeling to the lines.



We went over Shakespeare's Language tricks:

Personification

Simile

Metaphor

Classical Allusion

Reverse word

Reverse Thought

Reversed sentence construction.

We broke into groups and found examples of each in act 1 in Othello.

Brit Lit:

Today:

We started with journal prompt #11:

If you had three wishes, what would you wish for?  Imagine five years after the wishes- how specifically would your life change.  Please be specific.  1 Page

I gave you each a line of verse from a Shakespeare play.  Each row was tasked with one of the following:
Stress
Inflection
Emotion.

We talked about how each of these can help with giving life and feeling to the lines.

We went over Shakespeare's Language tricks:

Personification
Simile
Metaphor
Classical Allusion
Reverse word
Reverse Thought
Reversed sentence construction.

We acted Act 1, sc 1-2 in Macbeth.

WOS:

Today we completed filming. 

I passed out Othello.

HW.  Please read act 1 in Othello.  Please write 5 questions based on the act for class discussion.  We will be using these questions to talk about the events of Act 1.

Are there still hang ups over love and marriage between people of different race?  We will talk about this and more in class.

Brit Lit:

Today:

We finished our look at Shakespeare's life.

We begin Macbeth Wed!

Shakespeare:

Today we finished filming Act 2.  We will work to finish Hamlet and start our next play, Othello, early next week.

I posted a shot from M's death scene from the other day.  I am looking forward to seeing the final presentation!  I can't tell you how much fun it is watching you not only completely understand the play, but also have fun!

Have a good weekend.

Brit Lit:

Today we looked at scenes from the movie Shakespeare in Love.  Block C also had time for a quiz on the Shakespeare notes that I gave you in class this week.We will begin Macbeth on Tuesday!

Have a wonderful, long weekend.

Shakespeare:

Today:

We filmed act 4.

We looked at the footage that Tom was able to edit for the project. 

Stellar work all around.  I can not wait to share the final product.  You made this assignment great!

We will try our best to film act 2-3 Friday, or at least have fun attempting it.

Brit Lit:

Today:

A Block:  We finished our prologue poem.

We began our look at Shakespeare.  We took a look at the only things that we know for sure about him.

We looked at Shakespearean insults.  I asked you to combine 3 words and face off against another student.

C Block:  We also went around the room and tried to read one line of verse, from a wide spectrum of plays.

Shakespeare:

Today:

Day three of the project.  Today we began filming Hamlet.

Your projects were also due.  Please see me if you did not pass this in.

Brit Lit:

Today:

We converted The story of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight into a movie storyboard.

World of Shakespeare

Today:

We reviewed the movie project.

I gave you 30 minutes to finish your storyboards and time to rehearse your scene.

We discussed act 5 and how we could resolve the play with an epic dance off.

HW:  Your Hamlet projects are due Wed.  I can stay after today if you need additional help.  Please see me if you need any help.

We will be filming these Wed.

Brit Lit:

Today:

I collected your HW questions from last night.

We reviewed the story.

I broke you into groups and asked you to imagine that you were tasked with making a modern movie for Sir Gawain.

We made a storyboard for the movie, and passed these in.

HW:  Your pilgrimage assignment is due this Friday.

Shakespeare:

Today, we concluded our discussion on Act 5 in Hamlet.

We broke into our project groups.  Over the next three days, we will work to tell the 5 acts of the play, gangnam-style.

Day 1:  Create a version of your act that follows the absurdity of the video
Day 2:  Rehearse, rehearse, rehearse.
Day 3:  Each group will have a flip camera to record their act.

Day 4:  Showtime!

Brit Lit:

Today:

We discussed the concept of learning from the journey.  As the final piece of your pilgrimage assignment, we wrote the first draft of your pilgrimage.  Your final project must include the following parts:

Prologue poem
Symbolic representation in 10-15 images.
3 paragraph paper explaining your pilgrimage

These are due this Friday.

HW:  Please read Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.  Please answer questions 1-7 at the end of the story.

Brit Lit:

Today:

I passed your papers back
We started collecting pieces for your portfolio

We watched A Knight's Tale

HW:  Have a good weekend

Shakespeare:

We took a quiz on act 4.

We finally figured out why Vader has been holding a skull for the last two weeks and acted out act 5.

We discussed the possibility of trying to make a viral video for Hamlet, gundam style....

HW:  Please finish the play

Brit Lit:

Today:

We finished your symbolic representation. 

We reviewed your reading and took a quiz on it.

This Friday:  A Knight's Tale

Shakespeare

We each made a quiz for act 4.  You were asked to exchange these, that their quiz, and then correct it.

We reviewed the end of act 4.

HW:  Begin work on your Hamlet project.  These are due next Tuesday.

Brit Lit:

Today:

We finished working on your symbolic representations of yourself

We define characteristics of Chaucer's style

We wrote your own prologue poem

Reminder:  Please read pgs 115-120

Shakespeare:

I assigned the Hamlet project officially.  Please see me with any questions.  These will be due: Oct. 2.

We worked on Act 4.  We tried a game called Freeze, pop!  A group performed Act 4, sc 3 and we had the ability to freeze the action and pop in a question.

HW:  Please finish act 4.  Expect a quiz Wed.  Speaking of Wed., I am late on wed if anyone needs any extra help-stop by!

Brit Lit Assignment:

Make Your Own Pilgrimage…..




Over the next week, we will be reading a collection of “tales” by Geoffrey Chaucer.



In class we will be looking at his style, and be looking at what a pilgrimage is, and why you would go on one. Duplicating a writer’s style is one of the hardest tasks that I will ask you to do. It will require close examination of the language and the way Chaucer tells the tale.



Part 1: The Prologue Poem In this section, you will write a poem to begin your piece. In your poem you must: Give yourself a title as a pilgrim

Write 4-6 Lines.

Emulate Chaucer



Part II: The Symbolic Representation Provide a hand drawn picture, a collage, or a brief descriptive piece which clearly gives a symbolic representation of who you are. Remember, symbols are common images, which are used to represent much larger things.



Part III: The Tale You will write about a pilgrimage that you have been on.

In your Tale, you must: Write 3 well written paragraphs

Write a tale that includes, Characters, a plot, a setting, a climax, and a conclusion

There is a clear lesson that you learn by the end of the tale.

Brit Lit:

Today:

I collected any late journals.

We finished your pilgrim presentations.

I gave you a quiz on last nights reading.

I defined Symbolism

We defined ourselves using symbols, as part of your Pilgrimage Assignment.

Early Canterbury Tales

Think:

Pound for pound, hamburgers cost more than a new car.

Classroom doodles, not by me...

A little Christopher Walken....

Shakespeare:

Please choose one of the following projects:

Assignment #1: Hamlet: Grief Session


Directions: You are a psychiatrist and have begun counseling a new patient recently. In a 500 word, two page typed paper, please file a report on your findings. Please use specific examples from Acts 1-4 to support you end recommendations. You are required to look at all of his soliloquies and dialogue, which should be used as direct conversations given in his therapy sessions.

Please follow the following rubric:



1.) Start with an opening paragraph which needs to state your overall opinion of Hamlet’s mental state. 20 points



2.) In your body, please detail 4 examples which support your thesis.

40 points



3.) Please end with a final paragraph restating your diagnosis. Please end your report with your recommendations. 20 points



4.) Paper is typed, with proper grammar and punctuation 20 points           Assignment #2: So You Want to be a Movie Star?

Please take an act of Hamlet, and film a modern version.

Pick a scene in Acts 1-4 to perform in front of the class. You must do a full complete scene, which includes all of the key events. Before you begin, your group must make a master script which needs to be followed. Your script can be “modernized” to help you learn the lines.



Part of your grade will be on costumes. These do not have to be elaborate, but do need to show some effort. In other words, please do not wear what you would normally for school.



Your projects will be graded on the following:
Script 5 10 15
Effort 10 20 30
Costuming 5 10 15
Lines 5 10 15
Interpretation 10 20 25
Of the Scene



Final video should be 5-10 minutes long and submitted as a .mov, mp4, or DVD




Assignment #3: Graphic Novel




Take an act of the play, and convert it into a graphic novel.

Please visit http://www.killshakespeare.com/ for ideas and inspiration.



Your projects needs to be 20-30 animated frames

You need to completely re-tell the events of an entire act

You need a creative, colorful title.

Brit Lit:

Today:  The Canterbury Tales

The History of
Middle English vs. Modern English

I broke you into groups and asked you to do a character sketch based on a character in the story.
We presented these to the class.

HW:  Please read pgs. 88-112 in your big book (anthology)  Quiz on everything we covered today + reading Tuesday.

I collected your 1st 10 journal prompt.  These are past due- please pass in ASAP.

Word of the Week:

Redact: (ri-DAKT)  Verb tr.  To revise or edit a document for publication.

World of Shakespeare:

Journal prompt #9: Music, like writing and film, can connect us as human beings. If you had to select one album to listen to over and over, as your only music source for the rest of your life, what would you select and why? You may also make a play list of 10-12 songs.

I collected your take home quizzes.

We began act 4.  We looked at the promise that Hamlet's Mother makes him at the end of act 3 (lines 198-200)

We looked at the start of act 4, and specifically how they speak to each other when nobody else is around.  Are the in love?  Did she hold true to her promise to her son?

We dressed in costumes and did Act 4, sc 1, 2, 3

Friday we will be watching the Mel Gibson version in class.

Brit Lit:

Today:

Journal prompt #9:  Music, like writing and film, can connect us as human beings.  If you had to select one album to listen to over and over, as your only music source for the rest of your life, what would you select and why?  You may also make a play list of 10-12 songs.

We finished the Ballad of You assignment.  We took these and made them into a 25-30 line modern folk ballad, based on the student that you interviewed.

Get on the mic:  I gave you the opportunity of reading these into a mic, on a small stool, facing a live audience.

Shakespeare:

Today:

Journal Prompt #8:  Please explain how you think the play's conflicts will resolve.  If you know the ending, please create an alternative end.  1 page (1/2 page act 4, 1/2 page act 5)


We shared some of your HW:  Explain an event in your life that followed the 5 stages of grief that we discussed in class.  Thank you to those that shared.  I also gave a less personal assignment of looking at 5 characters in Hamlet and to explain where each character is in the same stages.  Both were due today.

We reviewed act III:  I broke you into three groups and asked you to show the top ten events of Act 3, reversed. 

We performed act 3 backwards...


HW:  Please complete take home quiz on act 3.

Brit Lit:

Today:

Journal prompt:  Please re-write the song ballad that you brought in, in your own words.  If you forgot the HW, I provided some with the Johnny Cash song, Ballad of a Teenage Queen.

We completed the interview process for

The Ballad of You:




Directions: Today in class you will all be writing a ballad: A short narrative poem that tells a story and is usually set to music. To make this interesting, the ballad that you make will be about another student in class, based primarily on a short interview that you have with them today in class.





Step 1: The Interview:



Please generate 10 questions to ask and record their answer. These will be the foundation of your ballad:



1. Your Question:







Their Detailed response:







2. Your Question:







Their Detailed response:









3. Your Question:







Their Detailed response:











4.Your Question:







Their Detailed response:









5. Your Question:







Their Detailed response:









6. Your Question:







Their Detailed response:







7. Your Question:







Their Detailed response:









8. Your Question:







Their Detailed response:







9. Your Question:







Their Detailed response:




10. Your Question:







Their Detailed response:





Part 2: The Things They Carry….

Describe in detail 5 items that are on them right now. Please use detailed description. Do not just say it is a pen. Describe it in as much detail as you can.



1.





2.





3.





4.





5.





Step 3, The Ballad of….



Write a 25-30 line folk ballad on the person that you interviewed and the information that you collected about them. Please begin this with the following and keep it in the 3rd person at all times:



There once was a boy named Joe that……



Step 3: Perform these in front of the class 