Shakespeare:

I passed out a packet of possible assignments, and loads of information on the play.  Please look this over tonight.  I will be looking for feedback on assignments that you would find meaningful and fun.

We started off with a journal prompt.  This is on pg 13 of the packet that I passed out on the Tempest.

We completed an in-class assignment matching lines from the play with modern lines.

We ended with a look at act 1.2 lines 46-206.  Each group needed to do a different type of broadcast on the news.  Specifically,  how did Prospero end up on the island?  I will try and post one of the groups on the blog.

HW:  Please read act 2.  Expect a quiz.

Brit Lit:

Today:

We reviewed a Victorian novel.
We finished Jane Eyre, and moved into Wuthering Heights.

I collected your HW from last night.  For those that did not do your HW, I will accept these late Friday.

Shakespeare:

Today:

We started with the prompt listed for Brit Lit. 

We cast for the Tempest

We watched the 2010 version.

HW:  Please read act 1.  Expect a quiz (on the play, not the movie).

As we close the term, please end in greatness.

Brit Lit

Welcome back!

We completed journal prompt #29:

Please describe your vacation to a 40 year version of yourself, in the future.  Please include:  How your time was spent?  What was your favorite memory?  What did you wish had not happened?  What specific detail would an adult you find interesting about the last 10 days?  1-2 pages

We read the 1st chapter of the Victorian novel, Wuthering Heights(pgs 912-921). 

HW:  Please answer questions 1-6 on pg 921 in your anthology.  As we inch closer to the end of the term, as always, try to end in greatness.

Warm Wishes

Wishing you all peace and happiness. 

Please use this time to reflect on the importance of those in your life.  We all have much to be thankful for.  See you in the new year.

Shakespeare

Today:

We went to the computer lab to take a school wide survey.

We decorated the holiday shrub with your sonnets.

Brit Lit:

I apologize that I have been unable to update the blog this week.  Please see me if you have missed work.

Today:

Last night I asked you to read the 1st chapter of the Victorian novel, Jane Eyre on pg 922 and answer questions 1-6 at the end.

Today, we began class with the journal prompt:

At the end of Ch 1 in Jane Eyre, Jane is sent to the Red room for punishment.  Here our imagination, as always, is often greater the reality.  Use your imagination to describe the room that we never see.  Please write a 1st person "I" account of what is in the room and what happens when Jane is placed there.  1 page min.

We then looked at the entire story via an excellent film version.

Reminder:  Secret Santa/Bobo gifts for your classmates are due by this Friday.  Please see me with any questions.

Shakespeare:

We presented your sonnet media projects today.  If you were absent, we will finish them on Monday.

The last 10 minutes we played a game of Othello.

Brit Lit:

Today:

We exchanged names for our class secret Santa.
We looked at foot and meter.
We practiced this with da,dum,da,dum,da,dum...

We diagrammed the poetry of Donne and Keats.

Shakespeare:

I asked for an update on your stickie post it notes.  How did it go?

We looked at modern sonnets.

We did an activity that I call pass the poem.  We started two poems: one on love, one on hate, and passed them around and had each person contribute a line of verse following the rules of a Shakespearean Sonnet.  I will post these soon.  They were both well done.

We looked at the origin of the sonnet- Italian style.  We defined the differences and talked about lasting images in poems.

HW:  Please bring in your favorite printed lyrics.  These do not need to be your fav song- but rather lyrics that are meaningful to you.  We will be making these into a sonnet on wed.  I will also continue to look to getting you into a lab to work on your sonnet media project.

Brit Lit:

Today:

A Block:  We went to the computer lab to finish your paper.  Please see me if you did not get to finish. 

C Block:
We finished the movie.
We read the selected poems by Ben Johnson.

HW:  Please bring in a copy of your favorite lyrics.  Not your favorite song- but words to a song that hold meaning to you.

Shakespeare:

Today:

We selected a line (or two) of powerful verse.  I asked you to write the line down on a stickie note and stick it in a random spot.  I suggested: school, home, work, Patrick's football helmet...

We talked about the discovery of a line.

I went over dramatic language and imagery in the poem.

We define the structure of a Shakespeare sonnet. 
We defined an iambic pentameter. 
I made each of you a unstressed, or stressed syllable. 
We stomped around the room to illustrate the pattern.  I suggested that this is the heartbeat of the poet.  We talked about why this has an impact on us( mother's heartbeat, ocean waves, etc.)

I asked you to write you own sonnet.

We looked at a few samples of previous sonnet projects.  These will be assigned officially on Monday and due next Friday.