Brit Lit:

Today:

A Block:  We went to the computer lab to type your gothic lit inspired stories.

B+C:  Awards ceremony

A big shout out and thank you to the Ted Foundation!

  This year they awarded my future classes a grant to purchase a set of ipads.  Thank you to the support of our communities and the entire Ted foundation.  Ted continues to be an amazing resource and has had a tremendous impact on my teaching.   THANK YOU!

Brit Lit:

This week we have been looking at Gothic Lit.  As a recap:

It has an innocent virgin type
A dark mysterious man
Mystery and suspense
A dark old house/castle
Unexplained events

C Block has also been examining the elements of Romance and how the Bronte sister's shifted to include elements of Gothic Lit..  Specifically, we have been looking at Jane Eyre.  This wed. we are up to ch 18.  The goal is to finish the novel next week.

All classes have been tasked with using the elements of Gothic Lit. to create an original 2-3 page Gothic story.  Many of you chose to write ghost stories, but other molds exist.

Due at the end of class Wed.:
2-3 page handwritten 1st draft.

We will be working to finish the final draft Friday and sharing these in the dark.

Brit Lit:

Today:

A+B+C Watched Wuthering Heights.

C Block had paper assignment:

1.Compare and contrast the the theme of love in Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre

Throughout the novels 'Wuthering Heights' by Emily Bronte and 'Jane Eyre' by Charlotte Bronte countless comparisons can be made. The two novels explore love, how this powerful emotion is able to overcome countless obstacles.

 

In a well written 5 paragraph essay, please compare and contrast the theme of love in the two novels. 

 

2.  Sequel

 

Imagine 10 years after either novel. Please write a 3 page sequel that is written in 1^st person, and follows the outline that we discussed for a Victorian Novel.

 

3.  Class Issues

 

 Think about the role that social class plays in Jane Eyre. What social classes are represented in the novel? To what extent is each class depicted?

 

Are all the classes given equal representation? How do the classes shown in the novels relate to the classes that realistically existed in the time and place where the novel(s) take place? Please consider two important questions: how does the author feel about the different social classes, and how can you tell the author's opinion? Write a paper that explores the way that social class and class issues affect the characters and plot of your novel.

 

4.  Positive/Negative Characters

 

In the novels Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights, some of the characters are given positive, sympathetic portrayals. Others have negative, perhaps even villainous portrayals. Still others may begin with negative qualities and gradually become more and more positive. Rarely does an author rely on the reader's personal sense of morality to determine which characters are positive and which are negative.

Instead, there are details, actions, and characteristics that help define who is

"good" and who is "bad." It's easy to know the difference in old westerns—goodguys wear white hats; bad guys wear black hats. But even then, there are other details that help you know what it going on, details that even help you construct hierarchies (e.g., slightly bad to fully evil). Think about your novel. How does the author indicate which characters are positive and which are negative? In your essay, explain how you can tell the difference.

C Block:  Please read to pg. 109 in JE

 

 

Brit Lit:

Today:
A Block: We read pgs 922-929 of Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre. CH 1 ends with Jane being place in the Red room.

Assignment:  Write a 1st person account of what was so bad about being placed in the red room.

B:  We finished the movie Jane Eyre.

C:  We read ch 1.CH 1 ends with Jane being place in the Red room.

Assignment:  Write a 1st person account of what was so bad about being placed in the red room.

HW:  Please read to pg 45.

Brit Lit:

Today:

A and B watched Jane Eyre.

C Block- Epic 4th annual Shakespeare Olympics!  Pictures soon...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0k7VXDPdg4k

Brit Lit:

Today:

A + C:  Sr's went to the computer lab to begin work on their final portfolio.  End in greatness.

Jr's:  A Block:  You watched Jane Eyre

C Block:

You broke into small groups and researched:

Research Topic #1:  Define feminism.  Please examine how Jane Eyre fits this definition.  Please also have 3-4 from the same relative time period that also fit this mode.  Please find two other authors’ that claim to have been inspired or influenced by the novel.

 

Research Topic #2:  Bio of Charlotte Bronte.  Please present a well thought out and detailed description of her life.  Your presentation should also include her famous sister Emily.  Please make sure to include important dates.  How did her real life influence the writing of Jane Eyre?

 

Research Topic #3:  Define the Coming of Age novel.  What are the characteristics?  Please examine at least 4 ways the novel fits the definition.  Please discuss 3-4 other novels that can be defined in a similar way in terms of the structure of the story.

 

Research Topic #4:  Define Gothic Literature.  What are the characteristics? Please include 3-4 other novels in your group discussion.    Thus far, how has Jane Eyre fit this definition?  Please also examine how this form of writing has impacted movie making, giving examples where possible.

 

 

B Block:  You took the test for Macbeth.

 

Brit Lit:

Today:

I collected your projects.

A + C took notes on act 4-5

They also took a quiz on 5

B:  We finished the play.  Test tomorrow for those that did not complete the final assignment.  You may use all of your notes.

Seniors- I will be collecting all books Thursday.

Brit Lit:

Today:

Journal Prompt:  As you look back of HS, who was your best teacher?  Why?  What was your favorite memory?  If you could change one part of HS, what would you change and why?  1 page

A + C:  Came close or finished the play (act V)

B:  Finished act 4
We took notes on act IV
We ended with a quiz on act IV

Reminder:  Your final Macbeth projects are due Wed.  End in greatness.

http://www.wcvb.com/news/wake-up-call-tantasqua-regional-high-school/33077420


We made the Boston News!

Battleship Cove 2015 Pictures:

https://www.flickr.com/gp/seancusick/ds46dS

Brit Lit:

A + C:  Today:

We finished act 4.

I broke you into small groups and tasked you with creating 12 frames of a storyboard.  These 12  frames needed to show everything that happens in act IV.

I moved your project to Wed.

B Block:

We finished act III

We took notes on act 2.

We made our own gross stew of 15 modern ingredients.  We then looked at the one at the start of act 4.  Many of you were surprised to see how gross Shakespeare can be.  Just not as gross as some of you... :-)

Brit Lit:

Today:

Imagine that all of the play has been lost, with the exception of one line for each scene.  Please write the line that you would save from each scene.  For each, briefly explain why the line needs to be saved to still understand the basic plot.  The lines selected should still tell the story.

I let you break into small groups.  Each group needed to tell/show the story Act 1-3 in exactly 32 seconds.

We looked at the gross ingredients in the stew at the start of act IV.

A Block used their 3 day project extension from the review game.  Your Macbeth project is now due next Wed.

I am afterschool Wed for anyone missing work or needing help with the play.

Brit Lit:

A + C : 

Journal Prompt:  Act IV gives us our moment of final suspense.  It is a turning point when it looks like everything might work out.  Please consider the open problems in the play and make up your own final moment of suspense.  Please consider at least three problems.          1 page

We finished act III

We took notes on act III

We took a quiz on act III

We ended with what is grosser than gross- a 15 ingredient stew that you passed in.  Tuesday we see what Shakespeare could come up with.  Some are grosser than yours.....

B:  We finished act II and did most of act III.

I passed out the final assignment for sr's.

Brit Lit:

Today:

A + C:

Banquo's lost lines:
Find 3 spots in act III where the ghost of Banquo could speak but does not.  For each, please make up 5 lines that you could have said.  Please carefully consider the placement and context.  Please list line # to indicate where you would place them

We caught up on the Macbeth movie up to the ghost scene.

You selected which Macbeth project that you plan on completing.  These are due next Friday.

B:  We finished act 2. 

We finished taking notes on act I

We took a quiz on act I

Have a great weekend Tantasqua!

Brit Lit:

Today:

A + C: 
We went outside and reenacted the murder of Banquo. 

I passed out and went over your final Macbeth project.  This is due next Friday.

We defined Paradox and Equivocation.  We looked at examples for both and broke into discussion groups.

B Block:
 We went outside and warmed up with pinky sword fight.

We acted out act II including the death of Duncan.

I assigned your final Macbeth project.  These are due next Friday.

Brit Lit:

Today:

A+C:  Journal prompt:  Ben Franklin said that if you ever want to see a persons true character, all you needed to do was give them a little power and see what they do with it.  Please describe a situation in your life when a person changed (+ or -) due to the power given.      1 page.

We took a quiz on Act 1.

We imagined what Facebook would have been like 400 years ago.  I broke you into groups of 2 and tasked you with making a fictional Facebook page for any character in Macbeth.

Time was again given for you to recite the ten lines.  You continue to lose 10 points each late day....This is a test grade.

We continued Act II.

B Block:  We watched a 12 min video:  Why Shakespeare?

We took a quiz on the notes that I gave you yesterday.  Reminder, during our study of Shakespeare, you can use all notes/hand outs.

You were each given a random line from one of his plays.  Each row was given an emotion and asked to read the line with this feeling. 

We continued act I and met Macbeth.

Many of you smiled and laughed at Shakespeare....just sayin.....

HW: Study your ten lines for Friday.  Test Grade

Brit Lit:

Welcome B Block!  It was nice to formally meet you all this morning.  I look forward to our time together.

A + C Block:  We recited your Macbeth lines.  Those that did not, lose 10 points each day that this is late.

We took notes on act 1 in A block

Both classes watched the 1st act of Roman Polanski's ver. of the Scottish play.  What did you think?

B Block:

We started off with notes on Shakespeare.  We also took notes on the Globe.  Reminder:  You may use your notes on every quiz/test.

We tossed around Shakespeare insults.

We started act 1 in Macbeth.

I passed out the 10 lines that you must memorize for this Friday.  Reminder: This is a test grade.  Looking at some of your averages, you need this!

Brit Lit

Today:

A Block- We collected any remaining journals
C Block- You took a quiz on terms from last week.

A + C:  We  took advantage of the nice temps and moved class outside.  We finished act 1 and completed out notes.  We acted out Act 2, sc1-2. 

We learned how to show weight and power, with pinky fights.  Each group needed to show their pinky as a 40lbs sword.  Videos to follow.

We talked about how Shakespeare often does not give us the scenes that we want to see the most.
I referenced an essay by Stephen King.

HW:  Continue to learn the ten lines from Macbeth.