Brit Lit:

Today:

We used fake blood and acted out Act III, sc IV. 

We looked at some of the 1,700 words that Shakespeare is credited with inventing or using for the first time.

Journal Prompt:  Please choose 10 of the listed words that Shakespeare invented and use them in a story describing your Halloween.  Please circle each word used in your journal.  1 page.

Words Shakespeare Invented

 

academe	accused	addiction	advertising	amazement
arouse	assassination	backing	bandit	bedroom
beached	besmirch	birthplace	blanket	bloodstained
barefaced	blushing	bet	bump	buzzer
caked	cater	champion	circumstantial	cold-blooded
compromise	courtship	countless	critic	dauntless
dawn	deafening	discontent	dishearten	drugged
dwindle	epileptic	equivocal	elbow	excitement
exposure	eyeball	fashionable	fixture	flawed
frugal	generous	gloomy	gossip	green-eyed
gust	hint	hobnob	hurried	impede
impartial	invulnerable	jaded	label	lackluster
laughable	lonely	lower	luggage	lustrous
madcap	majestic	marketable	metamorphize	mimic
monumental	moonbeam	mountaineer	negotiate	noiseless
obscene	obsequiously	ode	olympian	outbreak
panders	pedant	premeditated	puking	radiance
rant	remorseless	savagery	scuffle	secure
skim milk	submerge	summit	swagger	torture
tranquil	undress	unreal	varied	vaulting
worthless	zany	gnarled	grovel

I gave you the time after lunch to work on constructing your script for the Macbeth Movie Project.  We will be filming these Monday and Tuesday, so if you did not finish the script, please have it done for Monday.

WOS:

Today:

I gave you a last minute work day to wrap up your song projects, as most of you had small technical issues that needed to be resolved.

We were able to watch most of the projects.  Overall, you did a great job bringing this 400 year old music back to life.

Journal Prompt:  Please choose 10 of the listed words that Shakespeare invented and use them in a story describing your Halloween.  Please circle each word used in your journal.  1 page.


I referenced you next paper.  We will be watching the movie She's the Man on Monday and you will be writing a paper connecting the plot to the story of The Twelfth Night.  More on Monday.  Here is a sneak peek at the assignment:

She’s the Man Parodies the Bard

 Often, literature has an indirect impact on pop culture.  Shakespeare is of course of no exception.  The film She’s the Man borrows more than small doses of the story from The 12^th Night.  In fact, one could argue that the movie succeeds strictly as a direct parody of the play itself.

 

In a well written 5 paragraph essay, I would like you to answer the following questions:  Does the movie She’s the Man successfully parody the play The 12^th Night?  While the tendency will be to answer yes, I would also encourage those to voice disagreement.  Please examine not just the names, but more importantly, the function of the relationships in both stories.  Does the film require the play to fully enjoy the story?  Please have a clear thesis, and make sure to back this up with direct examples from both.

 

 

 

 

Comp. Lit. II:

Today:
I broke you into small groups and asked you to discuss the titles of the chapters.  Next you needed to come up with an alternative name for the first 5 chapters and list 2-3 sentences justifying your choice.

We watched 25 minutes of a modern re-telling of the novel.  We talked about if modernizing the story and changing the plot works.

Journal Prompt:  Please write a 1/2 page movie review on the modern version of Lord of the Flies.  Did you like it?  Why or why not?  Please give at least three examples to support your review.

Have a good weekend.  I will be collecting journal prompt 11-20 on Tuesday.  Please make sure that they are complete and ready to be passed in.

Today we celebrated the oral tradition of storytelling.  I told my ghost story from teaching in Ireland.  I hope that you had fun being scared.  Happy Halloween!

Brit Lit:

Today:

We started with the journal Prompt:  Please describe what you think will happen next in the play.  What will be the moment of final suspense in Act IV?  1 page.

I broke you into your groups and had you fill in a movie treatment for your Macbeth movie projects.  Reminder: these will be the expectations that I hold you to.

We worked on act 3 and did the death of Banquo.

HW:  Watch the Sox win the world series in Boston!

WOS:

Today:

We had work day #2 of 2 to work on your Twelfth Night lost song project.  I will be afterschool today for any group needing more time.  Feel free to stop by.  I can't wait to watch these this Friday!

HW:  Please finish act II.

Comp. Lit. II:

Today:

We listened to the last three sounds as part of our Lord of the Flies inspired journal prompts.  We shared these within your group and you each picked the best one from each group.

For those of you that were voted off, here was the alt. prompt:
"They May forget what you said, but they will never forget how you made them feel."                    Carl Buechner                        1 page


We started storyboard (16 slides) depicting the events in ch 1-5.  Please finish these for HW.

We defined parody, and watched an episode of The Simpson's that was a parody for the novel Lord of the Flies.

Brit Lit:

Today:

We took notes on Act 2.

We had a quiz on Act 2.

Journal Prompt:  Pick any character major or minor, and made a fake Facebook page, with at least 10 wall posts.  These can be from the character that you picked, or post from those that they are "friends" with.   
                                                                                              10 wall posts

I asked you to look again at the Shakespeare language tricks and identify each in act 2.

Brit Lit.

WOS:

Today:

We had day 1 of 2 class work days for your Twelfth Night Song project. These are to be presented this Friday.

HW:  Please finish and review act II.  Expect a quiz.

Comp. Lit. II

Today:

We continued with our Lord of the Flies inspired journal prompts:
Today, using the fiction developed and agreed on in your group, please respond to the picture and two sounds. 

If you have been removed from your group, or were absent, here is the alternative prompt:
"Truth is beautiful without a doubt, but so are lies."  Ralph Emerson  1pg.

We defined symbolism, and we began looking at the top symbols in the novel.  Please keep this sheet with your notes, as we will be using this again.

We took a quiz on CH 4.

HW:  Please read CH 5-6.
  Wed. We will be playing Three Strikes and you Quiz- so read and don't be that kid....

Brit Lit:

Today:

Please take the main 10 parts in Macbeth and cast them as modern actors.  Please explain for each why you picked them to play the part.

I broke you into 5 groups and tasked you with telling the story of Macbeth so far in exactly 32 seconds.  We performed these.

We acted out act 2 after lunch.

WOS:

Today:

Journal prompt:  If you were going to cast this play with modern actors, who would you cast and why.  10 parts cast with detailed explanations.

We looked at the music selections in this play.  You broke into 4-5 groups and were assigned making the song that your group was given into a modern song.  Each group is encouraged to use software (soundsmith, audacity, garageband, T-Pain's auto tune.)  You will have the next two classes to construct your song and put together your video presentation. 

I asked each group to define the measurable outcome that I will grade you on.  I collected this.

Comp. Lit. II

Today:

We continued with your sound journal assignment.  Today we listened to three sounds and I ask you to use them to incorporate conflict into your writing.

We then broke into your "tribe" and I asked you each to share your individual fiction and vote on the journal that you all wanted to follow.

I then gave you a surprise list of 16 items.  Your group debated which objects you would take.  You could pick 5.

One student must be lost or killed.  I asked you to identify the missing or dead student.

I asked each group to present their work.

We ended adding to your journal an explanation for your missing or killed student.

HW:  Please read Ch 4.

Brit Lit:

Today:
We started with a picture.  I gave everyone a different picture and asked you to imagine what is the story behind it.

Journal prompt:  A picture is worth 1,000 words.  Please write 2 pages about the picture that you were given.

We recited your 10 Macbeth lines.  Anyone that was not ready or absent will go Monday.

WOS:

Today:

We started class with each of you receiving a picture.  I asked you to write 1,00 words (2 pages) on what the picture is about.

I broke each row up into a different character from Twelfth Night.  You had to write a love poem to the person in the play that you have feelings for.  We then shared these with the row you wrote about, and I asked you to write a response.  We had fun sharing these.

Comp. Lit. II

Today:

We started class reading a forward that Stephen King wrote in a new publication of the novel Lord of the Flies.  We talked about inspiration and books that can reach out an grab us.
http://lordofthefliescover.com/about-book/stephen-king-foreword/

We played a Red Sox version of the game Three Strikes and You Quiz. You were able to avoid a quiz today by getting a runner home.

We looked at your examples of light and darkness in ch 1-3.  We talked about how both are used in the novel.

I passed back your All My Sons essay exams.  Class avg. was an 88.  Great job!

We looked at an online flash game based on Lord of the Flies.  You can play the rest here:
http://www.nobelprize.org/educational/literature/golding/lof.html

Brit Lit:

Today:

We watched act I of the Polanski version of the play.

Journal Prompt:  Please write a 1/2 page movie review of the movie.  Did it capture the play?  What was good, and what was poorly done?

HW:  Macbeth lines are due tomorrow, tomorrow and tomorrow....  It is a test grade. Make it count.  Watch the Sox dominate and take game 2.

WOS:

Today:

We went down to the stage to perform your blocked scenes and tested out you stage directions.


HW: None.

Comp. Lit. II

Today:

We finished our debate on good vs. evil.  In a close game of 8 rounds, the girl team emerged victorious and were complimented for their efforts by fresh Dunkin Donuts.  Picture below.

We broke into your pre-reading activity groups and answered specific questions on your life on an island.

HW:  Please read ch 3.  List 5 examples of use of light/dark/shadows.  Please have these ready to pass in and discuss.  Watch the Sox take game 2.

Brit Lit:

Today:

We started class with a quiz on the terms that I gave you last Friday.

We continued act 2.

We converted the tomorrow X3 lines into modern English.

HW:  Please study your lines for this Friday.  Reminder- this is a test grade!

WOS:

Today:

We started class with a quiz on the comedy terms that we defined earlier in the week.

We had a discussion on the lack of stage directions left in the plays.  We speculated why this is.  We used A. Miller as a strong contrast to Shakespeare.  Miller used stage direction excessively, while Will used almost none.  We talked about how this would change the direction.

I let you pick groups between 4-5 students.  You were tasked with picking any 4 pages of script from act I and write stage direction for every 30 sec.  You also had to incorporate 3 examples of physical comedy.

We performed these on stage.

Each group based in their stage direction for a grade.

Comp. Lit. II

Today:

We started class with 15 minutes to prep your debate.

We had a fierce debate that went to the last round.  We ran out of time, but will finish this Thursday.

Brit Lit:

Today:

We started class outlining a Shakespearian Tragedy.  Specifically, we identified the final moment of suspense.

We went outside to the courtyard and enjoyed the last nice day for a long time before the weather turns.  We re-enacted the death of Dunkin.

We took notes on act 1.

HW:  We will have a quiz tomorrow on the language trick terms that we went over last Friday.  They are also posted on the blog for your reference.

Wos:

Today:

Journal prompt:  Today I asked you to daydream and write what you think about.  Open up your imagination and give at least 1/2 page of thoughts.

We watched a great PBS documentary on Shakespeare's Comedies, with specific attention to Twelfth Night.

HW:  Please study your comedy terms.  Quiz on Wed.

Comp. Lit. II

Today:

We did a journal prompt based on an intro activity to Lord of the Flies.  Please see me for the printed assignment.

We finished All My Sons.

We had a debate on whether people are inherently good or evil.

We reviewed Ch 1.

HW:  Please read ch 2-3 in Lord of the Flies.

Examples of Reversed sentence construction, via Yoda.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p44pcTXpPOs

Brit Lit:

Today:

Journal Prompt:  Please describe a moment when someone convinced you to do something against your will or convictions.  How did you feel after?  Did you have any regrets?   1 Pg.

We watched some reversed sentence construction done by Yoda.

We worked on act II.

I gave you notes.

HW:  Please study your terms.  Quiz on Wed.

WOS:

Today: 
Journal Prompt:  What is the strangest thing that you have ever done to get someone to notice you?
                                                                                                                                               1 Pg.
We performed your short skits that you worked on from Friday using 5 of the comedy terms.

We did a round of freeze, POP! You had the power to freeze the scene and place a person or object in the scene.  Pictures and video above :-)

We looked at the terms that Shakespeare uses in constructing his plays.  You will have a quiz on these terms this Wed.

HW:  Please finish act I. Also, please find two comedy terms in act I.  Please write down your examples and be ready to pass them in at the start of class.

Comp. Lit. II

Today:
Journal Prompt:  Are people born inherently good or evil?  If there were no laws at all, how would people act?  Please imagine a world without any rules of consequences.  What would it be like. 
                                                                                                                            1 +1/2 pages

We finished watching All My Sons.
I passed out Lord of the Flies.
HW:  Please read CH 1-2

Brit Lit:

Today:

We started class watching a part of a recent PBS documentary following Ethan Hawke and his quest to understand the mind and part of Macbeth.

We defined terms:

1. Personification:

 

2. Metaphor:

3. Simile:

4. Reverse thought:

5. Reverse Sentence:

6. Reverse word:

 

We continued Act 1.

WOS

Today:

We started class reading a recent article suggesting that Shakespeare possible added his talent to other plays.  We debated the merit of this.

I passed back your grief papers.

We went over the comedy terms that are often used by Shakespeare.  I used A Midsummer Nights Dream examples.  Please begin to study the terms for a quiz next Wed.

I asked you to break into small groups and show 5 of the comic terms in action.

We performed these.

Comp. Lit. II:

We took the test on All My Sons.

I collected your books.

On Monday we will begin Lord of the Flies.  Have a good weekend!

Reminder:

Please remind your parent or guardian that parent teacher conferences are between 6-8 tonight.  Please encourage them to come out.  If they have any concerns and are unable to make it, please remind them that I am happy to speak with them at another time.

Brit Lit:

Today:

We watched the battle scene in Braveheart to illustrate what Macbeth has faced in battle as the play begins.

We acted out Act 1 sc 3.

We defined:
Aside
Suspension of disbelief.

After lunch I broke you into 5 groups and had you put together a short skit outlining some of the future themes of the play.

I passed back you papers.

WOS:

Today:
Journal prompt:  Please describe a moment when you presented a false image of yourself.  Why did you do this and what was the direct result?    1pg.

We reviewed act 1 sc 1-2. 
We acted out scene 3

HW:  Finish sc 3-4.  Expect a quiz on comedy notes and sc 1-4.

Comp. Lit. II

Today:

We finished the play.

I gave you the essay questions on the test.  You may use one page of notes to outline your thoughts.

We watched the film version as a review.

HW;  Study for the essay questions.  Test is on Friday.

Brit Lit:

Today:
We started class with the Shakespeare insults that you did yesterday.  Even if you do not understand the words, if you know the emotion, you can figure out the meaning.

I gave you notes on the Globe theater

We began Macbeth act 1.

WOS:

Today:
Journal #12:  I played a series of 5 sounds and asked you to use them in writing a first person account of a shipwreck.  5 sounds, length will vary.

We looked at the examples of things that you found/find funny.  We used them to connect to many of the comedy terms defined today:

Comedy Terms in Shakespeare:

 

Verbal Irony - Occurs when the actual meaning is different from the stated meaning.

 

 

Dramatic Irony - Occurs when the reader knows something about present or future circumstances that the character in the story does not know.

 

 

Situational Irony - Occurs when the outcome of the story turns out to be different from what the audience expected.

 

 

Oxymoron - Occurs when words, terms, or expressions appear to be self-contradicting.

 

 

 

Juxtaposition – placing two things side-by-side for the purpose of showing comparison and/or contrast

 

 

Comic Relief - A comical element/situation that relieves the emotional tension in a story.

 

 

Malapropism - The misuse of a word.

 

Slapstick Comedy – Type of comedy that stresses ridiculousness and horseplay.

 

 

 Pun –  a play on words that sound the same but that have different meanings.

HW:  Please read Act I, sc 1-2

 

 

Lit. Comp. II

Today:

Journal prompt #12:  If you could go back in time and change three things, what would you change?  What would be the direct and indirect result of this change?          1pg

We finished Great Expectations and talked about your impression of the story.

We read/acted out act III.  We will be finishing the play Thursday and taking a test on it this Friday.

Brit Lit:

Today
Journal #11:
Please describe your experience with reading/acting Shakespeare.  What did you enjoy?  What did you hate?  1/2 page.

I introduced you to Shakespeare.

We ended looking at the most popular insults in his plays.  I paired each of you up and we read an insult to the other person.

HW:  No formal HW during our time with Macbeth.  We will be doing to play entirely in class.

Wos:

Today:
I collected your Grief papers.

I collected your Hamlet text.

I passed out our next play- The Twelfth Night. 
HW:  Please list 5 things in life that make you laugh.  Please feel free to bring in visuals.

Lit. Comp. II

Today:

Journal Prompt #11:  Please describe a moment when you covered up a mistake.  Did it make it better, or worse?  1 Page.

We finished Great Expectations and talked about the play on Thursday.

We started act III

We will be finishing the play this week and will be having a test on All My Sons this Friday.

WOS

Today:
We took the Hamlet test.

Have a great weekend.

Comp Lit. II

Today:

I passed your journals back. 
1/2 the class went to the field trip.  Those that remain were treated to part 2 of the excellent PBS version of Great Expectations.

HW:  Do something outside and enjoy the nice foliage.  :-)  Have a great 4 day weekend!

New R+J

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_mdm6SafPM

Brit Lit:

Today.

We took the unit test.  Please see me if you were absent to make this up asap.

WOS:

Today:

We had an exciting conclusion to our review game from yesterday.  A noble effort. 
You won the last lock in: A three day extension on a major paper/project.  This can be used any time this semester.

I went over the format of the test.

We watched some more of Mel Gibson's version of Hamlet.

HW:  Please study for the test on Thursday.  You may bring in a page to help you on the essay questions.

Lit. Comp. II

Today:

We started class looking at Arthur Miller's FBI record. 
We watched two clips:  How to spot a Commie, And a 10 minute documentary on The Red Scare and Hollywood.

We had a discussion about how time has the tendency to sometimes make the picture more clear.  We talked about Miller went from plotting communist, to being honored by President Clinton before he died.

We finished Act II.  I suggested that all of Miller's play end with a bang at the end of act 2.  We looked at how All My Sons does this as well.

HW:  Please complete the 10 examples of symbolism worksheet from Act I-II.  For each object, please clearly define what it is a symbol of.

Brit Lit:

Today:

We played a review game for the test.

After lunch we broke into study groups.  You may use one page, single side, of notes during the last 2 minutes of the test.

I gave you the essay question.

HW:  Please study for the test.

WOS:

Today:
We reviewed the end of the play.  We talked about your opinion of the final scene.

I gave you a fake Hamlet facebook page.  I asked you to make a page for one of the characters in the play, and write 10 posts on their wall.  I collected these.

I read to you the essay questions on the test.  You may bring in one page (front and back) to assist you in answering the essays.

We played Who wants to Win a Pizza Party.  As we ran out of time, we will finish playing the review game on Wed. and move the test to Thursday.

HW:  Please work on your paper.  This is due the Tuesday that we get back.

Lit. Comp. II:

Today:

We went over your reading assignments that I gave you for HW.

We defined symbolism.

We looked at The Sick Rose by William Blake.
I asked you to identify the symbols in the poem.
I asked each of you to define the 5-6 identified words that could be used to represent a bigger idea.  I collected these

We worked on Act II in class.

No HW this evening.  Enjoy the night off

Brit Lit:

Today:

I collected your assignment for the Sir Gawain Video game manual.  These are on time if received by 3pm today.  10 points for each day late.

We began our review for the unit exam.

I broke you into groups of 2 and asked you to write 20 multiple choice review questions.  As a review, here is what we have covered:

The Oral tradition
The seafarer
The Hero's Quest
Beowulf
Ballads:  Sir Patrick Spens, Get Up and Bar the Door, Twa Corbies, Barbara Allen.
Canterbury Tales
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
Everyman
Morality Plays
Characterization.

On Tuesday we will be playing a review game called, Who Wants to Win a Pizza Party.  I will also be giving you the essay questions to allow you to prep/study for them.

Wed. Test.

WOS:

Today:
We looked at the formula for act V in a Shakespeare tragedy.
We finished working on our grief assignment outline.

I assigned the following paper:

Hamlet: Grief Session

Directions:  You are a psychiatrist and have begun counseling a new patient recently.  In a 250 word, one 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     


We read act V. 

HW:  Please finish the play for HW.  Expect a quiz.
   

Lit. Comp. II

Today:

We started class watching a 3 minute video/cartoon outlining the American Dream.
We had a class discussion on whether the American Dream is still obtainable.

We did a short writing assignment:  Please describe how you family fits into the American Dream.    1 pg.

We looked at a character sketches for a real production of All My Sons. 

I broke you into 4 groups and assigned you the task of performing a part of act 1 in front of the class.
We performed these and I collected your script.

I passed out an outside reading packet.  Please read the following for HW:
New York Times article on All My Sons, Feb. 23, 1947
American Industry during WWII
Curtailing War Profits
Aircrafts produced during WWII
The Truman Committee
Miller's Inspiration for All My Sons.