World of Shakespeare:

Today in class:

Something to do if you are bored online:
http://www.pangloss.com/seidel/Shaker/

I passed out some interesting speculation on Shakespeare. These are different than the factual dates. Most of the things that we talked about are speculation.

I finished my notes on the Globe. Please look over your notes, as they will show up on future quizzes.

HW: Please find one (or more) lines from a play or sonnet that has meaning to you. We will be doing different things with your line, so please do not pick something that you do not connect with. It will be far more interesting to us both if you connect to what you bring in.

Here is more information on your last bonus question if you are interested:
http://internetshakespeare.uvic.ca/Library/SLT/life/death.html

Brit Lit:

Today in class:

We went over a Hero's Quest. I introduced your 1st paper on this topic. I will have an assignment sheet for this on Friday if you wish to start it.

I used the film Dumbo to show some examples of the hero's quest.

I collected any late kenning examples.

No HW this evening.

Soph Lit:

Today in class:

We started with journal topic #3:
It is better to debate a question without settling it than to settle a question without debating it.
Jeseph Joubert


We discussed what is in a title. We then looked at the title of the novel and explored where it came from. I tried to rap it unsuccessfully. Here is the promised link to here it and see the lyrics:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comin'_Through_the_Rye

We looked at your 1st draft and I answered questions that you had. We exchanged papers and did a peer edit to the checklist given. For edutainment, I asked you to grade it.

Unfortunately, we ran out of time and postponed our debate until Friday.

HW: Please type your final draft. Please make sure to look over the checklist, as I will be basing my grade on these requirements.

World of Shakespeare:

Today in class:

We took a quiz on your reading. I began my lecture on the life and times of WS. I collected S. Alive!!. HW: Please read the History of Elizabethan Theatre.

We will finish with our notes, and continue on in Othello Thursday.

Soph Lit:

Today in class:

We played our first three strikes and we quiz.

We wrote on writing prompt #2: Education is what remains after one has forgotten everthing one learned in school. Albert Einstein

We talked about the reading last night. I ended class breaking you into 4 groups to quickly improve a scene from the book.

HW: Please read CH 5-6. Thursday in class we will be having a debate on censorship.

Brit Lit:

Today in class:

You had your first quiz. We reviewed Beowulf and continued reading.

HW: Please finish Beowulf. Thursday we will be looking deeper into the Hero's Quest and take a look on how the movie Dumbo follows this same path. You will never look at the movie the same way. Cambell was on to something....

We will also watch select parts of the animated Beowulf and discuss the ending.

World of Shakespeare:

Today in class:

We talked about some of the racial issues that we are about to encounter in Othello. We acted out Act 1, sc1 in class. I introduced the costumes.

HW: Please read Ch 2-4 in S. Alive! Be prepared for a short quiz on the reading.

Tomorrow, I will be giving a lecture on the life and time of Shakespeare. Please make sure to have a notebook ready for class.

Think:

111,111,111 X 111.111.111= 12,345,678,987,654,321. Why?

Word O' the Week:

Draffsack: A bag of garbage

Brit Lit:

Today in class:

Caesura: Pause in the line of verse

Kenning: A colorful, indirect way of saying something

Epic Poem: A long narrative poem that tells a story; Often oral.

I broke you into rows and asked you to use the above terms.
We looked at storytelling in terms of: pictures, words, and actions.

HW: Please read pg 26-27 in Beowulf.
Find an example of a kenning in a modern song and bring to class. Remember, as always, make sure that it is appropriate for school.

Soph Lit

THE CATCHER IN THE RYE

Directions: Write a narrative essay about an incident that
happened to you this year in school, and do so from Holden's
point of view.

To start, think about an incident that remains especially
clear to you.

Next, write the incident using Holden's style and his
philosophy of life.

Holden's Style
~ slang
~ sarcasm
~ judgmental
~ repetition
~ exaggeration
~ digressions
~ addressing the reader directly
~ expressions such as "It really did," "I swear," "It's true.
It really is," "If you really want to know the truth," and
"I'm not kidding" to emphasis a point
~ frequent use of the expression "...and all"
~ an ambivalent* tone of both sadness and humor

Holden's Philosophy
~ disliking phonies
~ confusion about girls and sex
~ feeling isolated
~ sad about Allie's death
~ loves his sister
~ at moments very depressed, lonesome, and almost suicidal

A length of 2-3 double-spaced typed pages (or 5-7 double-
spaced handwritten pages)

World of Shakespeare:

Today in class:

We did various acting/group bonding exercises in the auditorium. It was great to see so many of you smiling and enjoying education.

HW: Please read S. Alive! and be prepared to become a person from Elizabethan times.

Soph Lit:

I introduced my favorite book to teach of all time, The Catcher in the Rye.

HW: Please read ch 1-2. Please ask an adult what was their experience reading, or not reading the novel. Please be ready to share these stories Thursday in class.

Brit Lit:

Today in class:

We read the seafarer, I passed out your anthologies, and we discussed the problems of the oral tradition of storytelling via the game telephone.

We began our look at what makes a hero, and why we no longer have true heroes in our modern day world.

Word O' the Week:

Fussbudget: One who is fussy about unimportant things.

Think:

On average, a normal child utilizes 730 crayolas by the time that they turn 10.

Welcome Back!

Welcome back to Tantasqua. I hope that everyone had an enjoyable and relaxing 10 week break. It is hard to remember a Summer that had better weather.

For those visiting here for the first time, this is a online communication that I use to pass on what we did in class, and also give recognition to positive educational experiences that happen in my class.

It was great meeting you all this week. I look forward to our time together. Thanks for continuing to remind me why I have the best job in the world.

See you soon!