WOS:

Today:

Journal prompt:  Define the term crazy.  Please describe a moment when you could have been thought of as crazy.  CPA- 1/2 page, H- 1 page

We played the Hamlet txt adventure game.

We finished Act 1, sc 2

I passed back your most recent assignments.

HW:  Think snow.  Use your To be, or not to be lines by Monday and be ready to explain to the class specifically how you used them, and what was the outcome.

Brit Lit:

Today:

Journal Prompt #8:  Discuss how some negative experience has had a positive influence in your life.  1/2 page

We watched the movie version of Beowulf.  During the movie, I asked you to think about how the story follows the hero's quest.

HW:  Pray for snow, but have your final copy of your paper finished and ready to pass in.  These are due Friday.  In the event that we do not have school, these will be due Monday. 

Get them done tonight, and play in the snow :-)

Hamlet TXT adventure, old school

When I was a kid, imagination was way more important.  One such example, is with text based games.  I remember passionately playing Zork I, II, and III for hours, typing in comments, only to be told that "the key can't be used here."

In a nod to days of old, a text based adventure game for Hamlet can be played online.  In the game, you must type in what action you wish to do next.  If you are interested in an old gaming format, or just want to waste some time online, The Hamlet TXT adventure will not disappoint. 

You can play the game here:
http://rdouglasjohnson.com/hamlet/

Need a Kenning?

http://abdn.ac.uk/skaldic/db.php?table=kenning&val=ARMOUR

WOS:

Today:

Journal #7:

"Madness in great ones must not unwatched go." 
What is the danger in having power, but being crazy?     CPA- 1/2 page, H= 1 page

We went over:

Shakespeare's Language Tricks (see worksheet)
Shakespeare's Secret Recipe for Tragedy
T.S.Elliot on The Problem with a revenge play (essay, please read for HW)

We watched a clip from Empire Strikes Back to Show the reverse language of Yoda.

We continued with Act I

HW:  Quiz Wed on language terms and Shakespeare Tradgedy.  Please look both over.  Also read essay by T.S.Elliot and write down one interesting thing that you learned while reading his essay.

Brit Lit:

Today:

I collected your HW from last night.  I will accept these late on Wed.  Please finish these if you did not pass them in.

We reviewed the definition of Kenning.  I asked you to find 5 kennings in the reading.  I collected these and counted it as a quiz.

We went to the computer lab to work on the 1st draft of your Hero's Quest paper.  These are now due Friday.  I will be afterschool this wed. if you need any extra help.  Please stop by.

Klingon Hamlet, or people have too much time on their hands...

http://www.kli.org/stuff/Hamlet.html

To B, or not a B?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hA7lv1SDzno&safety_mode=true&persist_safety_mode=1&safe=active

Patrict Stewart on Seaseme St.

WOS:

Today:

No journal prompt for today.

We started off looking at some research that may make you smarter:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1281386/pdf/0940170.pdf

I gave you 10 min to listen to the suggested music and then look at the 10 lines that were due today.

I detailed my challenge to any student interested in doing their lines as a specific character.  10 extra points...

We watched a 8 min intro to Hamlet video done by the Folger's Library.
http://www.folger.edu/template.cfm?cid=4084

We reviewed the play (read the rest for HW):
http://www.folger.edu/documents/Hamlet%20Layout%20for%20WEB.pdf

We covered Shakespeare's special effects- his use of language.  I passed out a sheet detailing these with examples.

HW:  Please read the Folger Theatre handout that I gave you.

Brit Lit:

Today:

For the first 15 minutes, we broke back into your Hero's Quest group from Friday.  I tasked you with showing these in a short skit.

We completed journal Prompt #7.  I will be collecting the first 10 this Friday.  Please make sure that you have all of them completed.

We took notes on Beowulf.

Specifically, we defined three new terms to know: Epic Poetry, Caesura and Kenning.

We looked at the values and morals of the Anglo-Saxtons.

We began reading Beowulf.

HW:  Please finish reading Beowulf in your anthology.  Please answer questions # 1-7 on page 36.  I will be collecting these.

Also, Day 2 in the lab Tuesday.  Please also use this time to make sure you are set to finish this by the end of class Tuesday.

wos:

Today:

We started with the idea of slowing down to allow creativity to emerge.  I shared what I learned at our recent professional development on this topic.  We tried some basic relaxation exercises to help you get to a "still mind."

Journal Prompt #6:  I gave you 15 minutes to write 1 page on anything.  How often do we get that?  Some of you chose to doodle, some wrote a song lyric, others wrote poetry.  Most of you agreed that it help to center yourself before you come up with new ideas. We discussed slowing you brain down to undertsand Shakespeare.

We broke into 4 groups.  We defined pantomime and watched an example from You Tube.  I then gave each group a scene from Act 1 and tasked you with showing these with only brief narration, and lots "showing" your action without using words.

Reminder: A great PBS series continues on PBS tonight, Shakespeare Uncovered.  I believe Hamlet is next Friday- but I am sure that you will get something out of all of them- they are that good. 

Cool video

First video showing what a thought looks like in a brain.  Worth watching....

http://gizmodo.com/5980796/first+ever-incredible-footage-of-a-thought-being-formed

Brit Lit:

Today:

We discussed the idea of slowing down to allow the creative process.  We tried some short relaxation techniques. 

Journal #6:  I asked you to take 15 minutes in your journal and explore and creative thought: doodles, a poem, a short story, song lyrics, etc.  1 page

I broke you into small groups and asked each group to make an original hero's quest, following the 12 steps that we have been studying.

I had you list these on a giant post it note and present the idea to the class,

HW:  Please re-watch the movie that you selected for the paper.  On Tuesday, we will be returning to the lab to finish your paper.