Brit Lit:

Today in class....

Journal Prompt #1:  Write a creation story that explains the following:  Why the sun and moon exist.  Why do we have seasons?  Explain life and death.  I gave you 10-15 min to write these.  Please continue to bring your journals to class everyday.

We took notes on the oral tradition and looked at where story telling came from. 

We played a game passing around a story to illustrate how drastically these changed upon re-telling. 

HW:  Please read the Seafarer in your Anthologies.

Shakespeare:

Today:

We went over an outline of the class.
I passed out Shakespeare Alive! and assigned CH 1-2 for Friday.  Expect a quiz...

I enjoyed meeting you all.  I am greatly looking forward to class- it should be a good one!

Brit Lit:

Welcome! 

Today I introduced myself and the objectives of the course. 

I assigned anthology books, and placed you in assigned seats and asked you each to share something about yourself. 

WOS:

Today:

We took the final exam.  Please see me asap if you were absent to arrange a make-up date.

I collected your journals today.  I will also accept these on Friday- so make sure to get them in.

Thanks for a great class.  I hope that your understanding and appreciation for Shakespeare both improved.  I had a ton of fun with you.  all the best....    Cusick

Brit Lit:

Today, A block took your final, and C Block reviewed.

A few end of the term reminders:

If you did not pass in your anthology, it is needed asap.  I will be submitting book bills on Tuesday.  You are responsible for the book (and number) given.

Short stories were due today.  Please make sure you pass in two copies:  One clean final draft, and one copy that is highlighted to show the terms needed.  I will accept these on Friday as well.  After this week, it will be a zero.

I collected your journals.  Please make sure this is passed in.

If you were absent for the final exam, please see me asap to arrange a make-up date.

Many of you need this class to graduate.  Make sure that you end in greatness and get all work in.  Failure to pass in any assignment after this week will result in a zero for the assignment.  Please see me with any questions.

Brit Lit Review Sheet

In the event that we do not have school, here is the review sheet for your final:
Brit Lit Final Exam Review 2013:




Please have solid definitions for the terms covered in this course. For each one, please have an example that you could use on the final.



For example, you should know what irony is, but also be able to state an example of irony from one of the works covered. As I am allowing your notes from this page, you should include as much details as possible to assist you on the final.
1. Epiphany:
Example


2. Reversed word
Example:


3. 1st Person Narration
Example:



4. Stream of Conscious
Example:



5. Irony
Example:


6. Flashback
Example:


7. Satire
Example:




8. Symbol
Example:



9. Tone
Example:

10. Foreshadowing
Example:



Character Review:

Please outline all major characters in the following:



Beowulf




The Canterbury Tales




Jane Eyre




Macbeth




Wuthering Heights



Short Stories/poems: The Seafarer, Sir Patrick Spens, Get Up and Bar the Door, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, Araby, The Lagoon, The Lady in the Looking Glass, The Rocking Horse Winner, The Demon Lover, Shooting and Elephant, The Truth About George


Essays/short answer Questions:
Much time was spent on defining the Hero’s Journey. Please look over these notes, and be ready to answer questions on the stages.

Look at how at least three characters handled power. Please outline with 3-4 examples for each.

Define: Shakespearean Tragedy and explain in detail how the play Macbeth follows this formula

Shakespeare:

Today, we finished Taming of the Shrew and began reviewing for the final.  I also gave your a review sheet for the final.

We will spend the majority of Wed. reviewing for the final.  Reminder, you are welcome to bring in a single, double sided sheet to assist you in answering the essays. 

Brit Lit:

Today:

We started class going over the list of literary devices that need to be included in your short story.  Please make sure that when you are finished, that you have two copies:  One highlighting the specific devices needed, and a "clean" copy that can be used as part of a class collection.

I will be also selecting the best short story and submit it for a school-wide publication.

Wed. we will be going over a review sheet for the final exam. 

As always, end in greatness.

Shakespeare:

Today, we watched The Taming of the Shrew.  Please use the following cast list to help understand who is who:

Taming of the Shrew: Character list


Katherine - The “shrew” of the play’s title, Katherine, or Kate, is the daughter of Baptista Minola, with whom she lives in Padua. She is sharp-tongued, quick-tempered, and prone to violence, particularly against anyone who tries to marry her. Her hostility toward suitors particularly distresses her father. But her anger and rudeness disguise her deep-seated sense of insecurity and her jealousy toward her sister, Bianca. She does not resist her suitor Petruchio forever, though, and she eventually subjugates herself to him, despite her previous repudiation of marriage.

Petruchio - Petruchio is a gentleman from Verona. Loud, boisterous, eccentric, quick-witted, and frequently drunk, he has come to Padua “to wive and thrive.” He wishes for nothing more than a woman with an enormous dowry, and he finds Kate to be the perfect fit. Disregarding everyone who warns him of her shrewishness, he eventually succeeds not only in wooing Katherine, but in silencing her tongue and temper with his own.

Bianca - The younger daughter of Baptista. The lovely Bianca proves herself the opposite of her sister, Kate, at the beginning of the play: she is soft-spoken, sweet, and unassuming. Thus, she operates as Kate’s principal female foil. Because of her large dowry and her mild behavior, several men vie for her hand. Baptista, however, will not let her marry until Kate is wed.

Baptista - Minola Baptista is one of the wealthiest men in Padua, and his daughters become the prey of many suitors due to the substantial dowries he can offer. He is good-natured, if a bit superficial. His absentmindedness increases when Kate shows her obstinate nature. Thus, at the opening of the play, he is already desperate to find her a suitor, having decided that she must marry before Bianca does.

Lucentio - A young student from Pisa, the good-natured and intrepid Lucentio comes to Padua to study at the city’s renowned university, but he is immediately sidetracked when he falls in love with Bianca at first sight. By disguising himself as a classics instructor named Cambio, he convinces Gremio to offer him to Baptista as a tutor for Bianca. He wins her love, but his impersonation gets him into trouble when his father, Vincentio, visits Padua.

Tranio - Lucentio’s servant. Tranio accompanies Lucentio from Pisa. Wry and comical, he plays an important part in his master’s charade—he assumes Lucentio’s identity and bargains with Baptista for Bianca’s hand.

Gremio and Hortensio - Two gentlemen of Padua. Gremio and Hortensio are Bianca’s suitors at the beginning of the play. Though they are rivals, these older men also become friends during their mutual frustration with and rejection by Bianca. Hortensio directs Petruchio to Kate and then dresses up as a music instructor to court Bianca. He and Gremio are both thwarted in their efforts by Lucentio. Hortensio ends up marrying a widow.

Grumio - Petruchio’s servant and the fool of the play—a source of much comic relief.

Biondello - Lucentio’s second servant, who assists his master and Tranio in carrying out their plot.

Christopher Sly - The principal character in the play’s brief Induction, Sly is a drunken tinker, tricked by a mischievous nobleman into thinking that he is really a lord.

Brit Lit:

Today:  We worked on the first draft of your story in the library.

HW:  Please read: The Demon Lover, and answer the 3 questions which immediately follow the story. 

Please use the following sheet to assist you in the revision process:


Short story: Revision.


“The first draft of anything is s%&^*(.” Ernest Hemingway

Getting a story out of your head and onto paper is often the easiest part. Going back in and revising your writing is often the most difficult. As you begin to work on your final draft, please make sure that you have included the following literary devices that we covered while doing our short story unit:

Foreshadowing:



Epiphany:



First, second, or third person narration:



Symbolism:



Stream of conscious writing:



Setting description:



Flashback:



Resolution of conflict/plot:



For each of the terms, please highlight the spot in your story where each happens. The last page of your story needs to have this sheet, with each of the above terms highlighted as a different color, with a detail explanation of how each was used in your story.

Shakespeare:

Today:  We finished The Tempest.

We discussed the ending of the play and discussed how this might have been Shakespeare's way of saying goodbye.

Neil Young once sang, "It is better to burn out than fade away."  Did Shakespeare burn out? Or fade away?

HW:  Please find and bring in a unique Shakespeare reference from pop culture.  I will be teaching a class on Shakespeare in video games.  I look forward to seeing and hearing what you find.  It should be a good class.

Brit Lt:

Today:

I collected your HW from last night.

We went over the requirments for the short story assignment.

We went down to the computer lab and wrote the 1st draft.  We will return on Monday to rework it into a final draft.

As we head into the last week of the term, please make a point of making up any missing assignments.  I will be after-school next Tuesday and Wed. Any grade is better than a zero.

Shakespeare

Today:

We took a quiz on Act 3.

We broke into 3 groups to make a facebook page on a different character.  I allowed you to choose. 

We then returned to groups and together generated a txt version of any part of the play, using txt abbreviations.  Each group needed a txt of 25 lines.

HW:  Please finish act 4.

Brit Lit

We started with a journal prompt:

What is power?  Why are we drawn to it?  If you had it, what would you do with it?  How can too much power be a bad thing?  1 Page

We read a story about power: Shooting an Elephant. 

We also looked at a poem by D.H.Lawrence, Snake.

HW:  Please read the Rocking Horse Winner on pg 996.  Please answer questions 1-8 on pg 1005

Shakespeare:

Thanks for a fun class.

Today, we reviewed the hw reading and discussed act 3.  We talked about the magical elements in the play.  We also discussed how this play may have been Shakespeare's way of saying goodbye and resolving conflicts that were created in his plays.  What do you think?

I broke you into 3 groups and asked each group to present their act to the class.

We listened to examples of the scenes that you scored musically.  You came up with some interesting musical scores. 

HW:  Read 1/2 of act 4.  Please expect a quiz on 3-what we read of act 4.

Brit Lit

Today:

We each started a mini short story, and passed it around the room 5 times.  With each swap, you were given another element to work into your story.

I collected HW from last night.

We read The Lagoon on Pg. 961.  Please answer questions 1-7 on pg 971.

We discussed the use of light and nature in writing.  What could the opening of the Lagoon represent to the reader?

WOS

Today:

We started with reading the WSJ.  I asked you to reflect on 3 articles in your journal 1 page min.

I passed out two sections of lines by Caliban.  I broke you into small groups and asked you convert one of the speeches into a modern piece, focusing on: Slang, colloquialisms, and regional jargon.

We discussed musical scores.  Specifically, how music can improve a scene.  I gave you 5 parts of the play and asked you to score them. 

HW:

Please read act III.

I also gave you the review sheet for the final next week:

The World of Shakespeare: Final Exam Review Sheet 2012-3
We read the following: Othello, Hamlet, The Tempest, The Taming of the Shrew, The Twelfth Night, sonnets.
The following prompts are possible questions to consider (hint, hint):



#1 Examine the relationship in terms of a timeline between Desdemona and Othello. Please make sure to examine the end of their relationship, and how specifically Othello believes she has not been faithful. Examine how 4 characters other than Othello are directly, or indirectly responsible for the tragic ending.



#2 Please explain the ending of the 12th Night. Did true love prevail? Were you satisfied with the ending? Why or Why not? Please use specific details in your response.



#3 Talk about what makes a Shakespearean tragedy. Please examine one tragedy in your study group and discuss how it fits the definition.



#4 Please define the following literary devices that Shakespeare uses:

Alliteration, simile, metaphor, reversed word, reversed sentence construction, classical allusion, personification, suspension of disbelief, aside, using language to show class and status in the play. You should have three examples of each term and be ready to explain how they are used.



#5 Character can be defined by how one handles power. Look at 3 characters and discuss how well they handled power.



#6 Discuss the use of comedy in his plays. What ideas and specific plays hold up well and still make us laugh. Please use 3 specific scenes in your discussions.



#7. Love, and the quest for love are important themes in many of Shakespeare’s plays. Please examine three relationships and explain in detail how they played out in specific detail using the 3 of the following plays: The 12th Night, The Tempest, Othello.



#8 Define a Shakespearean Sonnet. What did his sonnets reveal about him that his plays may not have? Pick a sonnet and be familiar enough with it that you could reference it in an answer. Be prepared to write an original sonnet about this class that follows the rules and rhyme pattern of a sonnet. You might wish to write this before the exam and have it on your page of notes.

Brit Lit:

This morning we:

Began with the journal prompt.  I had you look for 3 articles that you found interested in this mornings Wall Street Journal.  I asked you to write YOUR opinion for each.  1 page

I passed out the short story assignment:
Short Story Assignment




Description: As a culminating activity for our short story unit, you will be responsible for creating your own original work of fiction. After reading and analyzing several short stories you will use the known short story conventions and literary elements covered within the unit to create your own short story. You will be responsible for choosing a theme, creating events and conflicts, determining your story’s point of view, and presenting unique characters in your short story.



Your short story must include the following:

• A creative title in quotes.

• A main character who takes part in the action (character)

• Details that describe a particular time and place (setting)

• A conflict or problem, to be introduced, developed, and resolved.

• A central theme or generalization that applies to life outside of the story.

• Inclusion of: Three “objects” from the class list: Dialogue within your story, stream of conscious writing, a specific and identifiable tone, an epiphany, characterization, and symbolism, theme.

• Stories must be a minimum of three pages typed.





The final draft of your story is due (revised, proofread, and typed) January 14th. On this date you must bring the following:

• Two Copies of your typed Final Draft (one to be written on/graded, one to be compiled in a short story collection)

• All brainstorming, rough drafts, and revisions (as completed in class).




We read: A Dill Pickle pg 951.  Please answer questions 1-4 on pg 957.
Please complete for HW if you needed more time.  I will be collecting these.