Pre-AP: A Christmas Carol Essay

On Friday, December 17, you will be asked to respond to the following prompt:

Near the end of Stave Three, the Ghost of Christmas Present reveals to Scrooge two “children.” In a well-developed essay explore how Dickens’ choice of (literal) personification helps the reader better understand the overall theme of the book.

To assist you in gathering your thoughts, you may download and fill-in this Graphic Organizer. Remember, students who use the graphic organizer tend to score higher than students who do not. Also, class will be about five minutes shorter than usual, in order to accommodate the volleyball game in the afternoon.

You will be allowed to use the graphic organizer and your copy of the text/notes during the writing period.

Be prepared. Be amazing.

Secret Santa Reminder

Secret Santa gift exchange will be at the end of each class tomorrow, December 16th. Please remember to bring a $5-$10 gift.

Don't be a Scrooge.

A Christmas Carol Socratic Seminar Questions

Be prepared to discuss these questions in class on Thursday, December 16, 2010.


WORLD CONNECTION QUESTIONS
What would you do if every one you knew shunned or rejected you? --A.L. (1st)

What do Marley's chains represent in your life? --A.M. (3rd)

If you could be one of the spirits to guide Scrooge, which would you be: Christmas Past, Christmas Present, Christmas Yet to Come? Why? --K.M. (7th)


CLOSE-ENDED QUESTIONS
Why does Marley's ghost have chains all over his "body"? --C.P. (3rd)

Why is Scrooge so antagonistic toward his nephew, Fred? --L.T. (8th)

Who were the two "children" that hid themselves underneath the Ghost of Christmas Present's robe? --Mr. Mikesell


OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS
How did Scrooge change from the beginning of the novel to the end? --Y.T. (3rd)

Why is Bob Cratchit happy, even though he doesn't have any money? --V.G. (7th)


UNIVERSAL THEME / CORE QUESTIONS
Do ghosts/spirits really exist? --A.C. (1st)

What is your reaction when someone gives you a second chance? --L.G. (8th)

How can seeing things from someone else's perspective change your understanding about something? --M.V. (8th)


LITERARY ANALYSIS QUESTIONS
Why did the author choose to set the story at Christmastime? --L.A. (1st)

What literary devices does Dickens use to make the Cratchit's feast "come alive"? --A.P. (7th)

English II: "How Much Land..." Study Questions

After you've finished reading Tolstoy's "How Much Land Does a Man Need," complete these study questions (in the online story Pakhom is spelled Pahom; same guy, though):

Section I:
1. How does the younger sister react to hearing how her older sister lives?

2. What did Pakhom say or do that led the Devil to form an evil plan?

3. What is the Devil’s plan for Pakhom?


Section II:
4. In what ways did Pakhom receive fines from the landowner?

5. How much land did Pakhom buy, and what was the agreement he made with the landowner to pay it off?

6. What did Pakhom mean at the end of this section, when he said that his land seemed “quite different” to him, as compared to before?


Section III:
7. How did his neighbors eventually come to feel about Pakhom’s “lessons”?

8. What did Pakhom accuse Simon of in court? What was the outcome of the trial?

9. What was Pakhom doing in the last paragraph of Section III?


Section IV:
10. How was Pakhom’s life in his new home, compared to his old one?

11. After a while living on the land, how did Pakhom begin to feel about his situation?

12. What is Pakhom tempted with at the end of Section IV?

13. What does “virgin soil” mean?


Section V:
14. The Bashkirs are different from the Russians. Identify at least 3 ways they are different.

15. What did Pakhom ask for, and what reasons did he give for wanting it?

16. What was the Bashkirs’ answer to Pakhom’s request?

17. At the end of this section, what are the Bashkirs arguing about?


Section VI:
18. What was the price for the Bashkirs’ land?

19. How will the Bashkirs determine what portion of land belongs to Pakhom?


Section VII:
20. How much land does Pakhom think he can get? What are his plans for this land?

21. Describe Pakhom’s dream.


Section VIII:
22. Why doesn’t Pakhom always turn when he should?

23. What is Pakhom worried about at the end of Section VIII?


Section IX:
24. Even when Pakhom is struggling, why does he not stop running?

25. What is ironic about the line “Six feet from his head to his toes was all he needed”?

26. Now that you have finished the story, what is ironic about when Pakhom says, “An hour to suffer, a lifetime to live,” in Section VIII?

English II: "How Much Land..." Vocabulary

Write meaningful sentences using the following vocabulary words:

• Arable
• Communal
• Discord
• Disparage
• Forbear
• Homestead
• Prostrate
• Steppes

Remember:

• a meaningful sentence is made up of two independent sentences combined with a semicolon (;)


• the first sentence includes a vocabulary word


• the second sentence contains the definition of that vocabulary word


• the first word of the second sentence is not capitalized


• you should underline the vocabulary word and its definition

For instance, if the vocabulary word was:

Kumiss (n): a liquor made from fermented mare's or camel's milk

a meaningful sentence would be:

My friend Boris offered me a sip of his kumiss; I didn't want to drink alcoholic milk so I had apple juice instead.

Assignment due: Thursday, December 16th, 2010.

Pre-AP Bonus Project: Song of My Schoolday

If you have submitted a draft of IWA #3 before Friday, Dec. 17, you may participate in this extra credit project.

Sound and song is an important part of Steinbeck's novel, The Pearl. In this project, you will make a “soundtrack” of the different parts of your school day, from start to finish. The steps for this project are outlined as follows:
1. Think of songs that you could relate with the 8 periods of your school day:

- 1st period (or arriving at school)
- 2nd period
- 3rd period
- 4th period
- 5th period (or lunch)
- 6th period
- 7th period
- 8th period (or when school lets out)

2. On clean sheets of notebook paper, write at least 3 sentences explaining your choices in songs, and why you hear them at those particular times. **Include the song title and artist.

Ex: Track 8 (When school lets out): "On the Road Again," Willie Nelson. I chose this song because it is very upbeat. It talks about how good life really is and how good it is to be with friends. When Willie Nelson sings about “Seein' things that I may never see again,” it reminds me that life goes by pretty fast and if I don’t pay attention I’ll miss out on things. The upbeat mood of the song matches my mood when the bell rings at 4:00. It makes me happy again, after a routine day of classes.

3. Print out the lyrics to all of the songs you choose, and highlight the parts you talk about in your explanation.

Important: Your songs must be SCHOOL APPROPRIATE. It is hard to find a song without an occasional curse word, BUT your song cannot talk EXPLICITLY about anything inappropriate; and your school day should not include sex, drugs, violence, thugging, pimping, gangbanging, etc. Just remember, I will hold you responsible for anything you turn in.

Not having a computer is not an excuse. There are libraries in your neighborhood that you can use. And there is still time to ask Santa for a computer, or to make friends with someone who has one.

Rubric: 70-79: Good effort, but fewer than the required sentences; 80-89: Good effort, with the required number of sentences; 90-100: Good effort, with the required number of sentences and a CD burned with your soundtrack on it.

Projects are worth 20% of your grade, and will count as an extra project to bring up a low overall project grade. This project is due Wednesday, Jan. 6th (right after Christmas break). If you have questions on anything, I suggest you talk with me before or after school to clear everything up; you may email me, but do not wait until the end of the break.

Pre-AP: Literary Devices Test Preview

On tomorrow's test you must be able to define and provide your own creative example of the following 20 literary devices. You will not be able to use any texts, notes, personal literary dictionaries, or regular dictionaries. You must use the brain you have in your skull when you arrive in the classroom.

• Adage/aphorism/axiom*
• Alliteration
• Allusion
• Analogy
• Anaphora
• Assonance
• Diction – sentence(s) employing 3+ word choices contributing to same mood/tone
• Flashback
• Foreshadowing
• Hyperbole
• Imagery, Gustatory
• Imagery, Olfactory
• Imagery, Tactile
• Imagery, Visual
• Irony
• Metaphor
• Onomatopoeia
• Oxymoron/paradox*
• Personification
• Simile

Bonuses (cannot raise your grade above 105 points):

• Apostrophe (literary term, not the punctuation)
• Pun
• Synesthesia (literary, not medical definition)

*You need only provide an example of one of these terms; the definition must apply to the term you choose.

Socratic Seminar Question Types: A Christmas Carol

Submit two (2) of each of the following by Wednesday, December 15. I will pick several and post them to the website that evening. Be prepared to discuss them in class on Thursday., December 16nd. Questions may address any and all aspects of A Christmas Carol, but particular emphasis should be placed on the second half of the book.


WORLD CONNECTION QUESTIONS
Write two questions connecting the text to the real world.

Example: When you realize how badly you’ve mistreated someone, how do you go about making things right between you?


CLOSE-ENDED QUESTIONS
Write two questions about the text that will help everyone in the class come to an agreement about events or characters in the text. This question usually has a “correct” answer.

Example: Based on evidence in Stave Two of A Christmas Carol, what texts did Young Scrooge imagine characters from?


OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS
Write two insightful questions about the text that will require proof and group discussion and “construction of logic” to discover or explore the answer to the question.

Example: After reading the first two staves of A Christmas Carol, why was Scrooge such a jerk?


UNIVERSAL THEME/ CORE QUESTIONS
Write two questions dealing with a theme(s) of the text that will encourage group discussion about the universality of the text.

Example: After reading Dickens’ Christmas Carol what should the attitude of the “haves” be toward the “have nots”?


LITERARY ANALYSIS QUESTIONS
Write two questions dealing with HOW an author chose to compose a literary piece. How did the author manipulate point of view, characterization, poetic form, archetypal hero patterns, for example?

Example: In A Christmas Carol, why is it important that the Spirits provided flashbacks or foreshadowing in Scrooge’s life?

English II: "How Much Land Does a Man Need?" Pre-Reading

Answer the following questions in complete sentences:

1. How important is money? Give two reasons why.


2. What are other definitions of wealth? Provide three examples.


3. What is the best definition of wealth? Why?

Presentation on Transitions

English II: Create a Persuasive Ad

CREATE AN AD TO SHOW YOUR PERSUASION SKILLS

With a partner, you are going to create a print advertisement. It will
be transferred to a big piece of paper, hung up on the wall and used
for the second “phase” of the assignment.

PLEASE FOLLOW THE FOLLOWING STEPS:
1. Decide on a product or service for your advertisement.

EXAMPLES:
Products: scotch tape, Campbell’s chicken soup, Wilson sport socks
Services: Read Now!, Kindness to Animals (SPCA), Recycling
Organizations: Girl Scouts, Stop the War, National Diabetes Research
People Groups: music artists, sport teams, athletes

2. Ads MUST contain Headline, picture and at least two paragraphs
selling the product. This time paragraphs can be shorter than five
sentences. 

3. What you create is written on notebook paper to be transferred to
larger paper.

ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS ABOUT YOUR AD:

1. Are you trying to appeal to the Ethos, Pathos or Logos?


2. Who is behind the ad – who being who is paying for it to be placed?


3. Who is the ad targeted to (age, economic level, education level)?


4. Who would NOT be interested at all in your ad?

You are welcome to lie, make up something fake or just be realistic.
The objective isn’t to create the best advertisement ... but it is HOW you
appeal to the Ethos, Pathos and Logos.

HAVE FUN!!!!

A Christmas Carol Stave 1-3 Test Terms and Vocabulary Preview

In addition to having read the first three staves of Dickens' Christmas Carol here are some things you should know before tomorrow's test.

Literary Terms

• Allusion
• Alliteration
• Anaphora
• Character Development
• Contrast
• Flashback
• Foreshadowing
• Monosyllabic
• Omniscient Narrator
• Onomatopoeia
• Oxymoron
• Paradox
• Parallelism
• Personification
• Point of View
• Pun
• Rhyme
• Sensory Imagery (Auditory, Gustatory, Olfactory, Tactile, Visual)
• Simile
• Synonym

Mood/Tone Words

• Apologetic
• Festive
• Jubilant
• Pedantic
• Rational
• Sarcastic
• Sentimental
• Speculative

Vocabulary

• Agitated
• Blithe
• Detestable
• Livid
• Melancholy
• Morose
• Ominous
• Sordid

A Christmas Carol Meaningful Sentences

Use ten of the twenty vocabulary words from A Christmas Carol to write meaningful sentences. Sentences that do not conform to the formula will not receive credit, nor will sentences with misspelled vocabulary. (Due 12/9/2010)

Remember:

• a meaningful sentence is made up of two independent sentences combined with a semicolon (;)


• the first sentence includes a vocabulary word


• the second sentence contains the definition of that vocabulary word


• the first word of the second sentence is not capitalized


• you should underline the vocabulary word and its definition

For instance, if the vocabulary word was:

Humbug (n): something worthless or ridiculous; a person or thing with no sense

a meaningful sentence would be:

Ebenezer Scrooge thought Christmas was a humbug; he couldn't understand how anyone could value such a nonsensical thing.

Pre-AP: A Christmas Carol Vocabulary

Free Christmas Carol Audiobook

Listen to Dickens' story as you read along. You may download a free audiobook recording of A Christmas Carol from LearnOutLoud.com, then load it onto your iPod/MP3 player and enjoy.

You are still responsible for obtaining a text version of the novella, so this will enhance -- not replace -- that responsibility.

A free Word-DOC file is also available. This Kindle edition will work with Kindle apps on Apple, Android, and Blackberry devices (must have parental permission to use electronic reader in class).

Opinion v. Fact

For each of the categories below write down something that is an OPINION and something that is a FACT.

For instance, if the category was Computers, an opinion would be “Apple makes the best computers.” A fact would be “Early computers were the size of large rooms.”

	Opinion	Fact
School
Candy
Music
Tennis  Shoes
Television

The Pearl Essay #2

In class December 3rd, you'll write an essay based on the following prompt:

Read the passage from chapter 6 of The Pearl that begins “The night seemed a little less dark” and ends “from the little cave in the side of the stone mountain, the cry of death.” In a well-developed essay discuss how Steinbeck uses literary elements (including, but not limited to metaphor, simile, etc.) to develop the theme that violence dehumanizes its perpetrators.

Students who completed a graphic organizer for the last essay tended to do much better than those who didn't. Be a student with a successful future: Complete the Pearl Essay #2 Graphic Organizer, courtesy of Ms. Farinas.

You may use the completed graphic organizer to assist your writing in class, but you may not pre-write your essay, turn it in, and chill for the rest of the period.

The Pearl Socratic Seminar Questions

Be prepared to discuss these questions in class on Thursday, December 2, 2010.

If you missed the seminar, submit well-thought out written responses to two questions (100%; one question=80%).

If you were in class and did not respond twice, use the back of your remaining half-sheets ("buns") to respond to the questions. If you respond to a question discussed in class, your response must add to the conversation we had. (+10 pts. each.)


WORLD CONNECTION QUESTIONS
Can a person change his/her destiny? --E.V. (1st)

When faced with a decision where every outcome seems negative, how do you finally make your choice? --A.P. (7th)

What do you do when you realize the path you are going down in life is leading you away from where you want to be? --M.V. (8th)


CLOSE-ENDED QUESTIONS
What's the meaning of the baby's name (Coyotito)? --L.A. (1st)

What did Juana do to heal Coyotito of the scorpion sting? --A.R. (7th)


OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS
In what ways did the pearl change Kino? --M.S. (3rd)

How does Juana's personality change over the course of the novel? --T.B. (3rd)

Why does Coyotito "have" to die? --M.M. (8th)


UNIVERSAL THEME / CORE QUESTIONS
If you found the "pearl of the world" how do you feel your responsibilities would change? --A.V. (1st)

If a friend suddenly became rich, how would your friendship change? --K.M. (8th)


LITERARY ANALYSIS QUESTIONS
Why did the narrator introduce Kino's "songs" to the reader? --U.V. (3rd)

Why does Steinbeck use the pearl as a symbol of destruction, rather than hope? --M.R. (7th)

English II: "Ain't I a Woman" Persuasion Analysis

After reading the transcript of Sojourner Truth's speech -- here -- answer the following questions:

1. What is Sojourner Truth’s claim?



2. What counterarguments does Sojourner Truth address?













3. Which method of argument does she primarily use? (Ethos, Logos, or Pathos)
   
   Explain:

Socratic Seminar Question Types: The Pearl

Submit two (2) of each of the following by Wednesday, December 1. I will pick several and post them to the website that evening. Be prepared to discuss them in class on Thursday., December 2nd. Questions may address any and all aspects of The Pearl.


WORLD CONNECTION QUESTION
Write a question connecting the text to the real world.

Example: When you realize how badly you’ve mistreated someone, how do you go about making things right between you?


CLOSE-ENDED QUESTION
Write a question about the text that will help everyone in the class come to an agreement about events or characters in the text. This question usually has a “correct” answer.

Example: Based on evidence in Chapter Two, how is a pearl made?


OPEN-ENDED QUESTION
Write an insightful question about the text that will require proof and group discussion and “construction of logic” to discover or explore the answer to the question.

Example: How does the pearl change Kino?


UNIVERSAL THEME/ CORE QUESTION
Write a question dealing with a theme(s) of the text that will encourage group discussion about the universality of the text.

Example: After reading Steinbeck’s Pearl, how do you feel cooperation should be balanced with individuality?


LITERARY ANALYSIS QUESTION
Write a question dealing with HOW an author chose to compose a literary piece. How did the author manipulate point of view, characterization, poetic form, archetypal hero patterns, for example?

Example: In The Pearl, how does Steinbeck use simile and metaphor to show Kino’s loss of humanity when he kills the trackers?

Pearl Chapter 4-6 Test Terms and Vocabulary Preview

In addition to having read the second half of Steinbeck's Pearl here are some things you should know before Monday, Nov. 29th.

Literary Terms

• Alliteration
• Allusion
• Analogy
• Assertion
• Fable
• Fairy Tale
• Foreshadowing
• Hyperbole
• Legend
• Metaphor
• Myth
• Naturalism (as literary style/trend)
• Onomatopoeia
• Oxymoron
• Parable
• Paradox
• Personification
• Sensory Imagery (Auditory, Gustatory, Olfactory, Tactile, Visual)
• Simile

Mood/Tone Words

• Acceptance
• Anxiety
• Bitterness
• Contemplation
• Frustration
• Joy
• Rage
• Sorrow
• Sweetness
• Tenderness

Vocabulary

• Aspirations
• Dehumanize
• Renege
• Reptilian Brain

Mythological Characters

• Cyclops
• Erymanthian Boar
• Hydra
• Kraken
• Medusa
• Pegasus
• Perseus

Time Is Short. Get to Reading!

For some of you this week has passed by unbelievably fast, and your good intentions to get to a bookstore and/or do some reading have gone the way of Thursday's turkey legs. Please come to class prepared for success on the Pearl chapters 4-6 test.

If you haven't already managed to get a book, you may read it online here (or print it out or use an app like Stanza to transfer the text to your iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch. (Any Android/Blackberry users know an app that will allow you to transfer texts to your Book Reader apps?)

Also, Dickens' Christmas Carol can be downloaded for free here. Only the first stave/chapter is due this week.

Look for the test preview later today.

Preview: "Dover Beach"

Part way through Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451 (the book week be reading in the final six weeks of the year), the protagonist reads a poem by Matthew Arnold: Dover Beach.

Here's the full poem read by Angela Lansbury (you may know her as the voice of Mrs. Potts in Disney's Beauty and the Beast): Listen. (Right click and choose "Save As" to copy to your computer, then move it to your iPod)

There are more classic poems to be listened to and downloaded here.

"Celebration of Grandfathers" Persuasive Argument Analysis

After reading “Celebration of Grandfathers”…

Summarize Anaya’s CLAIM and provide three (3) pieces of evidence he uses to support his claim. For each piece of evidence, indicate if it is ETHOS-, LOGOS-, or PATHOS-based.

Identify two (2) places where he addresses COUNTERCLAIMs and rewrite them in the “I know that…” “and I agree that…” “…but…” format

In 3-5 sentences conclude and explain why you were or were not persuaded by Anaya’s argument.

Persuasive Argument Powerpoint Notes

Thank you Ms. Farinas!

Pearl Chapter One Graphic Organizer

On Friday, November 19, you'll be writing an essay on the following prompt:

Read Chapter One of John Steinbeck’s Pearl. Then, in a well-organized essay, compare and contrast the portrayal of the doctor both before and after the reader actually meets him. Pay particular attention to the diction, the narrator’s attitude toward the doctor, and the overall tone created by the author.

In class, graphic organizers to assist in writing the essay were distributed. If you were absent or lost your, download the graphic organizer, again.

Pearl Chapters 1-3 Powerpoint Notes

Thank you Ms. Farinas!

Pre-AP: New Books, New Password

I picked up two copies of How to Read Literature Like a Professor book tonight. If you've got $7 (I don't make change) and the new password -- swordfish -- you've got yourself a copy of the book.

First come, first served (stop by starting at 7:30 for your best chance of getting one).

Pre-AP: IWA #3

Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “Money often costs too much.” Both The Pearl and A Christmas Carol explore the paradox that wealth can carry a great cost to an individual, a family, and/or a community. In a well-developed essay explore the literary strategies Steinbeck or Dickens uses throughout his novella to communicate this idea to the reader.

This is the final IWA where a REWRITE (70 point) grade will be awarded. Please submit a draft early in the six weeks’ grading period so you can rewrite/revise and understand what is expected of you during the 4th Six Weeks.


Tips to success:

Do not simply recount the tragedies the characters encounter. Extensive plot summary will result in a REDO grade (no points), not a REWRITE (70 points). Look at diction, metaphor, imagery, etc., and how the author’s use of these techniques changes over the course of the story to help you explore the subject of the cost of wealth/money.

Focus on only one of the novellas. If you want to use A Christmas Carol, you must complete reading it in time to proceed through the IWA process.

All essays must be typed and adhere to the MLA formatting requirements (see below). All essays must be submitted with the draft in the LEFT pocket (inside front cover) of a 2-pocket portfolio folder. Failure to meet these minimum requirements will result in the draft being returned to the student unevaluated and with no score recorded.

• Type your paper on a computer and print it out on standard, white 8.5 x 11-inch paper.


• Double-space the text of your paper (paragraph settings). Use Times New Roman (Garamond if you're “fancy”); the font size should be 12 pt. (font settings).


• Leave only one space after periods or other punctuation marks.


• Set the margins of your document to 1" on all sides.


• Indent the first line of paragraphs one half-inch from the left margin. MLA recommends that you use the Tab key as opposed to pushing the Space Bar five times, or set your paragraphs to indent the first line 0.5". Do not skip a line (i.e., leave a blank line) between paragraphs.

Drop-Dead Deadline: Friday, January 7, 2011.

Pearl Chapter 1-3 Test Terms and Vocabulary Preview

For the test covering the first three chapters of Steinbeck's The Pearl on Nov. 15, you should know the meanings of the following literary terms, vocabulary words, etc.:

Literary Terms

• Alliteration
• Allusion
• Analogy
• Anaphora
• Antithesis
• Assonance
• Cliche
• Foreshadowing
• Hyperbole
• Imagery
• Irony
• Metaphor
• Onomatopoeia
• Personification

Vocabulary

• Adequate
• Chastise
• Discrepancy
• Illuminate (not with light)
• Juxtapose
• Parallel (as a verb)

Mood/Tone Words

• Apathetic
• Condescending
• Contemptuous
• Expectant
• Indifferent
• Reverent
• Sarcastic
• Sinister
• Tragic
• Tranquil

TAKS Prep: Reading Skills

Using the novel you've been reading in class, complete the following:

1. Find two (2) sentences where you've figured out the meaning of new words based on how they are used in the sentence. Explain how you figured out their meaning.


2. Make a prediction about what you think may happen later in the story based on one character's personality trait(s).


3. Summarize what the book is about, so far.

Pre-AP: Vocabulary for Six-Week's Final

These words (or noun/verb/adjective/adverb variations) will appear on the Six-Weeks' Final. Knowing what they mean will work to your advantage. (The page number where they appear in the most-common paperback versions of Lord of the Flies appear in parentheses.)

• Interminable (135)
• Iridescent (192)
• Lamentation (116)
• Malevolently (94)
• Muted (29)
• Obscurely (95)
• Obtuseness (153)
• Officious (50)
• Opalescence (75)
• Opaque (95)
• Parody (94)
• Parried (253)
• Pinnacles (251)
• Ruefully (159)
• Tacit (71)
• Vexed (194)
• Vicissitudes (63)
• Vivid (266)
• Vulnerable (159)

Timeline Illustration

Select one (1) of the ten (10) items on your timeline and illustrate it on a separate sheet of paper.

Be sure to fully use the space of the page; enhance with color, as appropriate; and place the date and time in large print at the bottom of your illustration.

Artistic ability is secondary to your attempt to portray an event in the Storm King Mountain disaster, but if it looks like you put the least amount of effort into the assignment, don't expect much time or effort to go into the consideration of your grade.

Pre-AP Reading for Week of 11/15

On Monday, November 15th, there will be a quiz on the first three (3) chapters of The Pearl. Please have it read. Thank you.

Lord of the Flies Socratic Seminar #2 Questions

Be prepared to discuss these questions in class on Tuesday, November 9, 2010.

If you missed the seminar, submit well-thought out written responses to two questions (100%; one question=80%).

If you were in class and did not respond twice, use the back of your remaining half-sheets ("buns") to respond to the questions. If you respond to a question discussed in class, your response must add to the conversation we had. (+10 pts. each.)

WORLD CONNECTION QUESTIONS
Which character do you most closely identify with? Why? -- J.C. (1st)

When you are afraid, what do you do to overcome your fears? -- M.A. (3rd)


CLOSE-ENDED QUESTIONS
Why did Jack say "I'm Chief" after Piggy's death? -- R.V. (1st)

Why don't Jack and Piggy get along? -- M.M. (3rd)

What is signified by the breaking of Piggy's specs? -- R.R. (8th)


OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS
If the pilot were to have survived, how would the story have changed? -- T.B. (3rd)

Why was it important to the story for the boys to believe in The Beast, even though there wasn't any real threat? -- N.G. (7th)


UNIVERSAL THEME / CORE QUESTIONS
What did you like about the book? What did you dislike? -- A.R. (7th)

How is evil represented in the story? -- J.N. (8th)


LITERARY ANALYSIS QUESTIONS
What details of the boys' characters did Golding alter over the course of the novel to show their descent into savagery? -- V.E. (1st)

How did Golding foreshadow Piggy's death? -- K.M. (7th)

What did Golding accomplish by choosing to make the weather a thunderstorm when Simon was killed? -- L.G. (8th)

In what ways is the ending ironic? -- Mr. Mikesell

IWA: Last Chance

Because Ms. Perry was administrating P.A. this afternoon, you have until 11:59 P.M., Central Time, to email me your IWA. Because district email is iffy right now, attach the file (.doc or .rtf, only -- .docx will not be accepted) to an email to my personal account: chris-dot-mikesell-at-gmail-dot-com (where -dot- is a . and -at- is an @).

This will not be allowed for IWA #3.

Socratic Seminar Question Types: Lord of the Flies, Chapters 4-12

Submit two (2) of each of the following by Monday, November 8. I will pick several and post them to the website prior to the socratic seminar. Be prepared to discuss them in class next week.

World Connection Question
Write a question connecting the text to the real world.

Example: How do you stand up to peer pressure?


Close-Ended Question
Write a question about the text that will help everyone in the class come to an agreement about events or characters in the text. This question usually has a “correct” answer.

Example: What was "The Beast"?


Open-Ended Question
Write an insightful question about the text that will require proof and group discussion and “construction of logic” to discover or explore the answer to the question.

Example: In what ways is Simon revealed as a Christ figure?


Universal Theme / Core Question
Write a question dealing with a theme(s) of the text that will encourage group discussion about the universality of the text.

Example: Do the boys truly escape the horrors of the island once they are "rescued"?


Literary Analysis Question
Write a question dealing with HOW an author chose to compose a literary piece. How did the author manipulate point of view, characterization, symbolism, imagery, metaphors, allusions, archetypal hero patterns, for example, to help the reader better understand the story?

Example: Golding characterizes Piggy as myopic or (literally) shortsighted. In what ways does he metaphorically behave shortsightedly?

Blowup/Storm King Mountain Timeline

If you didn't finish the timeline in class, finish reading the Storm King Mountain article at my.hrw.com. Use the login-ID you received in class and the password mikesell (all lowercase). The story begins on Page 558.

If you lost your timeline, the first item is:

July 2 - Lightning strikes hills, starting fire

You need nine (9) more significant moments on your timeline.

Alternate Email Address for IWAs

On my school email account tonight I've received several emails that were sent a week ago. It is possible that IWAs may be being held up, so please send them to my personal account: chris-dot-mikesell-at-gmail-dot-com (where -dot- is a . and -at- is an @).

Thank you.

Pre-AP: 8-Step Writing Process

Be sure to have the graphic organizer copied and ready to turn in on Thursday, November 4th.

In case we didn't get to finish in your class, here are explanations for the final three steps.

Rough Draft: Don't worry about getting it right the first time, just get everything you can think of down on paper as quickly as possible. "Once upon a time..." is a perfectly fine way to start out your Rough Draft.

Revise/Edit: Things to look for when revising/editing:

• That "Once upon a time" intro? Replace it. Start with dialogue, a flash-forward to an exciting moment two-thirds of the way through your story's rising action, or something interesting that happens early on in your story.


• If your story opens with you waking up, showering, getting dressed, and eating breakfast, scrap it. Start your story with something interesting happening.


• Look for places to add similes, metaphors, personification, onomatopoeia, etc.


• Make sure everyone has a name. Only Mom and Dad should be generalized as "mom" and "dad" -- your siblings, friends, teachers, etc., should be named.


• Double-check your organized bubblemap to see if everything essential has been included.


• Other than a brief flashback or flash-forward, does everything flow in sequence? It should.


• Make sure you've mentioned or implied the prompt's keyword(s) toward the end of your introduction/exposition and during your "lesson learned"/conclusion.


• Plus, fix grammar, spelling, punctuation, etc.

Final Draft: Make sure you re-copy your revised draft carefully. It's easy to make a mistake and think you're copying accurately because you know what you "mean" to write. Wait a half hour after you've written your Final Draft before you submit it so you can look at it with as fresh of eyes as possible one last time before you call it "done." (During the TAKS test you'll have the Revising and Editing section to do after your "essay," so look at your Final Draft again when you're done with that last section.)

Open-Ended/Crossover Questions for Haiti Article

Use the article on Haiti, "Amid Haiti horror, stories of survival and hope*," to answer the following question:

What similarity do the Prudhommes and the Schlenbakers share? (No, it's not "odd last names.") Support your answer with evidence from the text. (3-5 sentences)

Use the Haiti article and the "Man in the Water" to answer this crossover question:

How does the theme of this article (Haiti) compare with the theme of "Man in the Water"? Support your answer with evidence from both articles. (5-7 sentences)

*The article cuts off mid-sentence on the jump page. Click the "Show more text" tab to see the end of the article.

Pre-AP: Say the Magic Word

There are a bunch of copies of Steinbeck's The Pearl at the Half Price Books at Firewheel Plaza in Garland. I picked up four for $3 each, and two copies of How to Read Literature Like a Professor for $7. (Prices for The Pearl ran from $3 to $6, with many in the $4-$4.50 range. Check the back cover of the newer versions and divide by two for the final price.) Don't forget to get a copy of A Christmas Carol while you're there.

Want one? Say the magic word -- Garfunkel -- and have exact change. (Get both for $10).

Pre-AP Reading for Week of 11/1

Come to class on Monday 11/1 ready to discuss:

William Golding's Lord of the Flies, Chapters 10-12

You should finish the book as soon as possible, so you can submit a draft or two of IWA #2 before the 11/5 drop-dead deadline.

Open-Ended Question for Katrina Article

Complete this Open-Ended Question (OEQ) for the Katrina Article:

What was the extent of the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina?

Remember to a) answer the question in general terms, and b) provide specific quoted evidence from the article to support your answer. That's all you need to do to get an 2 on the TAKS test (and 100% on this assignment).

"Comparison" Essay Prompt

Both Golding’s Lord of the Flies and Steinbeck’s “Vigilante” deal with mob mentality*. In a well-developed essay (develop a thesis, use quotes, etc.) compare both authors’ use of the idea and its aftermath on their characters. Come to a conclusion about what their stories say about mob mentality’s effects on humanity.

*Mob mentality refers to the way a group of people can get caught up and taken over with crimes of passion and do things they would normally not do individually.








(Bonus for people who read the fine print: I picked up three copies of The Pearl at Half Price Books this evening. Two are older copies, which cost $3; the other is a newer $3.50 copy. The first three people who pay with exact change may have them.) UPDATE It's halfway through the day and I still have one $3 book left!

Chapters of Lit/Prof That May Help IWA #2

If you're stumped on how to support your IWA #2 thesis -- and/or if you want to write an awesome paper -- consult these chapters from How to Read Literature Like a Professor:

• 2 - "Eating"
• 7 - "The Bible"
• 11 - "Violence"
• 12 - "Symbols"
• 13 - "Politics"
• 14 - "Christ Figures"
• 16 - "Sex"
• 22 - "Blindness"

Remember, all IWA submissions must be typed; see the guidelines.

Also, the Drop-Dead Deadline is November 5th. Turn in early drafts by Nov. 1st so you will have an opportunity to rewrite or revise.

Steinbeck's "The Vigilante"

Print your own copy, so you can annotate/mark it up for use in your essay. Find the story, online, here.

Pre-AP Reading for Week of 10/25

Come to class on Monday 10/25 ready to discuss:

William Golding's Lord of the Flies, Chapters 7-9

You should finish the book as soon as possible (and since you had early release on the 22nd you've got extra time this weekend), so you can submit a draft or two of IWA #2 before the 11/5 drop-dead deadline.

Lost at Sea

Test your survival skills: Play Lost at Sea!

Follow the link, read the scenario, and select your six items (a sextant is a navigational tool, C rations are food, and you're too young for the Puerto Rican rum).

After you press the "submit query" button, print out the results. Turn in your original results (you can play multiple times to see what helps (or doesn't) your survival rate, but be honest with the results of your first attempt).

Good luck!

Pre-AP: Lord of the Flies Biblical Allegory Essay

In a well-developed essay, discuss the allegorical connections between the first six chapters of Lord of the Flies and Genesis, chapters 2 and 3. How does Golding's analogous use of the Bible story enhance the reader's experience?

Cite Bible passage like this: Genesis 2:15 or Genesis 3:12-14.

Lord of the Flies Allegory Essay Preview

In preparation for tomorrow's essay on allegory in Lord of the Flies you may choose to preview Genesis 2 and 3. Excerpts will be available in class.

Pre-AP: Essay-Related Vocabulary

Lord of the Flies Chapters 4-6 Essay

Contrast "Castle Rock" at the end of Chapter Six ("Beast from the Air") with the beach as it has been presented throughout the book thus far. Include quotes and contrasting symbolic objects to support your observations.

Periods 1, 7, and 8, this counts as a test grade. Period 3, this counts as classwork.

Model Thesis Statement (do not copy)

In Lord of the Flies, William Golding places two unique settings on opposite sides of the island where British schoolboys struggle for survival. Not only are the beach and "castle rock" on opposite sides of the island, but they are opposites of each other. One is a civilized yet vulnerable place; the other offers security, but is primitive in nature.

English II: What's Due Tomorrow

In addition to any late or missing work from last week or this past Monday, you need to turn in the following material for your Reflective Essay:

• The 8-Step Writing Process "mini-poster"


• Your 3-4 story ideas (step 2 of the writing process)


• Your "organized" 30+ bubble bubble-map (steps 4 and 5 of the writing process)


• Your rough draft after you've revised/edited it in class tomorrow (steps 6 and 7 of the writing process)

All of this will be graded, entered in the gradebook over the weekend, and returned to you on Monday the 18th so you can write your final drafts in class (also on the 18th).

Lord of the Flies Chapter 1-3 Test Terms and Vocabulary Preview

In addition to the literary terms simile and metaphor you should know the following vocabulary:

• begrudging
• disillusioned
• incongruity
• inquisitive
• loquacious
• vastness

You should also know which of the five senses the following words relate to: auditory, olfactory, tactile.

English II: Reflective Essay

Following the 8-Step Writing Process write a two-page essay based on the following prompt:

Write an essay a story about a time you learned a lesson about the importance of heroism

8 Step Writing Process

If you didn't copy it off the board when you had the chance: 8-Step Writing Process.

Do not print this out and turn it in. Copy it by hand.

Lord of the Flies Socratic Seminar #1 Questions

Be prepared to discuss these questions in class on Thursday, October 14, 2010.

If you missed the seminar, submit well-thought out written responses to two questions (100%; one question=80%).

If you were in class and did not respond twice, use the back of your remaining half-sheets ("buns") to respond to the questions. If you respond to a question discussed in class, your response must add to the conversation we had. (+10 pts. each.)

WORLD CONNECTION QUESTIONS
What characteristics do you look for in a leader? --J.H. (1st)

How would you go about making a chaotic situation civil? --I.M. (8th)


CLOSE-ENDED QUESTIONS
What is the purpose of the conch? --M.M. (8th)

How do the boys know there is no civilization on the island? --S.P. (3rd)

What animal does Jack almost kill in the first chapter? --M.G. (3rd)


OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS
After reading the first three chapters, has Ralph proven to be a good leader? Why/why not? --G.O. (7th)

After reading the first three chapters, how would you describe Ralph and Piggy's relationship? --M.R. (7th)


UNIVERSAL THEME / CORE QUESTIONS
Why are rules important in a society? --T.B. (3rd)

How does a leader maintain his/her position of authority? --L.M. (8th)


LITERARY ANALYSIS QUESTIONS
Why do you think Golding made Piggy a fat boy? --V.E. (1st)

Why do you think Golding chose an island for the setting? --A.P. (7th)

Why do you think Golding chose to write in Third Person Omniscient, rather than Third Person Limited or First Person? --S.P. (3rd)

Pre-AP: Lord of the Flies Essay #1

In some novels, specific settings are presented in conjunction with a certain symbolic object (or objects) to reinforce the novel's theme and/or to comment on humanity. In a well-developed essay -- using quotes from the novel to support your assertions -- discuss how Golding does this in Lord of the Flies.

Remember that a well-developed essay includes a thesis paragraph and body paragraphs that coincide with the supporting information mentioned in the thesis paragraph. A brief concluding paragraph should sum up the supporting information and the thesis.

This is for a test grade.

Model Thesis Statements (do not copy)

In Lord of the Flies, William Golding uses the setting of the beach to demonstrate one of the novel's themes: Order is essential to civilization. He does this by tying symbolic objects like the conch and the log seating area to the beach.

or

In Lord of the Flies, William Golding uses the setting of the beach to demonstrate one of the novel's themes: All work and no play makes Jack (and Piggy and Ralph) a dull boy. He does this by tying symbolic objects like the log seating area and the bathing pool to the beach.

Socratic Seminar Question Types: Lord of the Flies, Chapters 1-3

Submit one (1) of each of the following by Wednesday, October 13. I will pick several and post them to the website Wednesday night. Be prepared to discuss them in class on Thursday, October 14.

WORLD CONNECTION QUESTION
Write a question connecting the text to the real world.

Example: When you are lost, what strategies do you use to get “found”?


CLOSE-ENDED QUESTION
Write a question about the text that will help everyone in the class come to an agreement about events or characters in the text. This question usually has a “correct” answer.

Example: Why do Jack Merridew and his friends dress in uniform?


OPEN-ENDED QUESTION
Write an insightful question about the text that will require proof and group discussion and “construction of logic” to discover or explore the answer to the question.

Example: After reading the first three chapters of Lord of the Flies, what conclusions can you draw about Piggy’s personality?


UNIVERSAL THEME/ CORE QUESTION
Write a question dealing with a theme(s) of the text that will encourage group discussion about the universality of the text.

Example: After reading the first three chapters of Lord of the Flies, what responsibilities do you feel the strong have toward the weak?


LITERARY ANALYSIS QUESTION
Write a question dealing with HOW an author chose to compose a literary piece. How did the author manipulate point of view, characterization, poetic form, archetypal hero patterns, for example?

Example: In the opening line, Golding describes Ralph as “[t]he boy with the fair hair.” What implications might his diction choice, “fair,” suggest to the reader?

"The Man in the Water" Essay

If you haven't finished the "reading check" or "question support" worksheets, you'll need to refer to the essay, online, in order to do so.

PSAT Practice Test Answers & Scores

If you lost your answer sheet for the practice PSAT test we did in class, you can download it here: PSAT answers.

And, since you'll have also lost the section that tells you how to calculate your score, you'll need that, too: PSAT scoring information.

Remember, your scoring information is due Monday, October 11th.

PSAT Practice Test Explanations

Make the most of your PSAT preparations. Check out the explanations of the answers on the PSAT practice test. The more you know, the better you'll do.

Pre-AP Calendar (2nd Six Weeks)

The Pre-AP calendar for the second six weeks is here.

Pre-AP Reading for Week of 10/11

Please read:

William Golding's Lord of the Flies, Chapters 1-3

Lord of the Flies Book Check

Easiest grade of the six weeks: Bring your copy of Golding's Lord of the Flies to class Wednesday, October 6, or Thursday, October 7, for a quick book-check grade.

You're welcome.

Pre-AP: IWA #2

Drop Dead Deadline: November 5th

Write an in-depth character analysis on one of the four (4) major characters in William Golding's Lord of the Flies (Ralph, Piggy, Jack, or Simon). Do not merely summarize the character, but profile him based on the rhetorical strategies Golding uses.

As you write, consider the following:

1. Symbolically, what role does your character play in the novel? (religious: saint, martyr, demon, etc.; political: despot, counselor, pacifier, etc.; or religious/political allusion) – This should be your thesis.


2. What are the traits, activities or objects associated with the character that lead you to determine this role?


3. What are his motivations?


4. How does he react to the situation on the island? What does this reveal about character?


5. How do the other boys treat him? How does this reveal character?


6. Does he die? If so, how and why? If not, why not? What deeper meaning is there to his death (or reason for him to remain alive)

Use as much textual evidence as possible to strengthen your claims. Lack of significant textual evidence will result in a “rewrite,” rather than a “revise” grade.

“Diction” should be used for its connotative—not denotative—value.

NO: The boy was a bully. (This is direct characterization and will result in summary.)

YES: He sneered at us like a Roman emperor about to consign Christians to the lions. (This is indirect characterization and can be analyzed based on diction (sneered), allusion (Roman emperor executing Christians), alliteration (hard /c/ sound) and allows plenty of room for interpretation.)

You may use your notes from class, the Professor book, and the articles we have read together, but your writing MUST be your own. Do NOT quote the Professor book; restate Foster’s ideas in your own words.

All drafts/submissions MUST be typed and take the entire novel into account. The sooner you finish reading the novel, the more time you will have to write your IWA. Remember to submit early so if/when you have to rewrite or revise you will have time to maximize your grade.

English II Six-Weeks' Test Review

Here's the word bank for the six-weeks' review crossword puzzle (omit spaces in puzzle):

ACROSS

• ANTAGONIST
• CONFLICT
• COURAGE
• COWERED
• EXPOSITION
• EXTERNAL
• HANDICAPS
• MENACE
• NARRATOR
• NEUTRALIZE
• POINT OF VIEW
• PROTAGONISTS
• RISING ACTION
• SETTING
• SIMILE
• SUN

DOWN

• CHARACTERS
• CLIMAX
• CONSTERNATION
• DIALECT
• FALLING ACTION
• FIRST PERSON
• FUTURE
• HARRISON BERGERON
• INTERNAL
• PLOT
• RESOLUTION
• SYNCHRONIZED
• THEME
• THIRD PERSON LIMITED
• THIRD PERSON OMNISCIENT
• VIGILANCE
• WEDDING DRESS
• WINCE

Pre=AP Six Week Test and Vocabulary Preview

For the 6-weeks' test on any/everything we've covered this unit, you should know the meanings of the following literary terms, vocabulary words, etc.:

Literary Terms

• Abbreviation
• Alliteration
• Allusion
• Antithesis
• Aphorism
• Contraction
• Colloquialism
• Ekphrastic poetry
• Hyperbole
• Idiom
• Imagery
• Irony
• Motto
• Neologism
• Onomatopoeia
• Paradox
• Parallelism
• Personification
• Portmanteau word
• Simile
• Slogan

Vocabulary

• Antithetical
• Blissfulness
• Contentment
• Futuristic
• Impassionate
• Irrational
• Nostalgic
• Objective
• Quantitative
• Sarcasm/Sarcastic
• Wistful

You should also be familiar with the Gods, Goddesses, and Heroes of Hamilton's Mythology.



And for those of you who've read this far, here are three answers to the crossword puzzle review that you probably don't know (omit the spaces):

20-Across: ROAD OF TRIALS
54-Across: CALL TO ADVENTURE
65-Across: SUPERNATURAL AID

Vocabulary for Pre-AP Six-Weeks' Exam

Pre-AP Reading for Friday 9/24

For tomorrow, please read from Foster's How to Read Literature...: Chapter 24: "...And Rarely Just Illness."

(If you still haven't acquired your copy of the book -- quintuple-shame on you -- you can read the most of the chapter online via Amazon's "Look Inside" feature (search for "illness," jump to page 213)).

Pre-AP Reading for Thursday 9/23

For tomorrow, please read from Foster's How to Read Literature...: Chapter 10: "It's More Than Just Rain or Snow."

(If you still haven't acquired your copy of the book -- quadruple-shame on you -- you can read the most of the chapter online via Amazon's "Look Inside" feature (search for "rain," jump to page 74)).

Pre-AP Reading for Wednesday 9/22

For tomorrow, please read from Foster's How to Read Literature...: Chapter 2: "Nice to Eat with You: Acts of Communion"

(If you still haven't acquired your copy of the book -- triple-shame on you -- you can read the most of the chapter online via Amazon's "Look Inside" feature (search for "communion," jump to page 7)).

"Sonny's Blues" Test Make-Up Assignment

Fully (re)answer each question that you missed or received partial credit for. Responses must be 4-6 complete sentences long. Each must present textual (quoted) evidence to support the answer.

1. What dual meaning is carried by the word "blues" in the title? What are Sonny's blues?


2. What is the narrator's occupation? How is his occupation significant in understanding his relationship with Sonny?


3. What is the significance of the scene with the street singers? Contrast it to the closing scene.


4. Who is the true redemptive character in the story? Explain your answer.


5. Provide three examples of irony in the story. Explain how your expectations were reversed in reality.

Answers must be attached to your original test, and received no later than 10/2.

"Searching for Summer" -- Read It Online

Need to read (or re-read) Joan Aiken's "Searching for Summer"?
Go for it!

"The Dead" Test Terms & Vocabulary Preview

For the test on James Joyce's "The Dead" (read it online, here) on Sept. 20, you should know the meanings of the following literary terms, vocabulary words, etc.:
Tone/Mood Descriptions:

• Apathetic
• Blasphemous
• Compassionate
• Festive
• Humble
• Humourous
• Melancholic
• Nostalgic
• Optimistic
• Vengeful

Literary Terms

• Alliteration
• Hyperbole
• Imagery
• Irony
• Metaphor
• Point of View
• Simile

Vocabulary

• Amusement
• Arrogant
• Banal
• Bewilderment
• Cloak
• Coincidental
• Convenient
• Embarrassment
• Emotion
• Fury
• Ghastly
• Insecure
• Ironic
• Nonchalance
• Overcoat
• Punctual
• Ridiculous

There's at least one mythological allusion in the story. You should refer to Hamilton's Mythology to aid in your understanding.

Harrison Bergeron Storyboards

Retell "Harrison Bergeron" (link to story) in the six sections of the Storyboard Handout.

In the three boxes across the top, draw a picture representing the Setting/Exposition (Box 1) and two points of the story's Rising Action (Boxes 2 and 3; the segment of the story in Box 2 should come before the segment in Box 3). Accompany each illustration with a quote from the story that goes with what you've drawn.

In the bottom three boxes, draw a picture of the Climax (Box 4), the Falling Action (Box 5), and the Resolution (Box 6). Again, a quote from the story should roughly match your picture.

This Made Me Smile

Just so you know it happens...


It's a poetry joke. Emily Dickinson stagecoach-jacking. Ha ha! It's funny. <sigh>

Here's the whole poem. But it's not as funny as the GTA mash-up

Source: xkcd.com

Pre-AP Reading for Friday 9/17

For this Friday, please read from Foster's How to Read Literature...:

• Chapter 7: "...Or the Bible"


• Chapter 25: "Don't Read With Your Eyes"

(If you still haven't acquired your copy of the book -- double-shame on you -- you can read the most of the chapters online via Amazon's "Look Inside" feature (search for "bible," jump to page 47; search for "eyes," jump to page 226)).

"Sonny's Blues" Essay Preview

Be prepared to write on the following essay prompt tomorrow:

James Baldwin’s short story “Sonny’s Blues” is populated by images of darkness and light. In a well-constructed essay explore the literary devices (contrasts in imagery and diction, as well as metaphor, simile, personification, etc.) Baldwin uses to express the darkness/light motif in order to create a particular mood for the reader. (Be sure to define the mood you feel Baldwin has created.)

Literary Terms #3 ("Sonny's Blues)

"Harrison Bergeron" Meaningful Sentences

Use all six (6) of the vocabulary words from "Harrison Bergeron" to write meaningful sentences. Sentences that do not conform to the formula will not receive credit. (Due 9/17/2010)

Remember:

• a meaningful sentence is made up of two independent sentences combined with a semicolon (;)


• the first sentence includes a vocabulary word


• the second sentence contains the definition of that vocabulary word


• the first word of the second sentence is not capitalized


• you should underline the vocabulary word and its definition

For instance, if the vocabulary word was:

Cooperate (v): to work or act together or jointly for a common purpose or benefit;

a meaningful sentence would be:

The students cooperated on their project; they worked together to make sure it was turned in on time.

(Hat Tip: Ms. Hildebrandt for her model sentence.)

Harrison Bergeron Vocabulary

Ms. Fariñas' Irony Powerpoint

AS SEEN IN CLASS!
The first 10 slides in this PowerPoint by Ms. Fariñas deal with IRONY.

POV Reaction

Look at the two versions of your story intro and then answer these two questions:

1. Which form of third-person narration did you use in the third-person POV draft
   • Limited: Access to only one character's thoughts, feelings, etc.
   • Omniscient: Access to any/all characters' thoughts, feelings, etc., as well as possibly future events
   And how can you tell?
   
   
2. Which POV (first- or third-person) works best, and why?

Staple your response behind the two drafts of your story.

Change Your Point-of-View

Take the Story Intro you wrote the other day and revise the point-of-view from which it's told.

If you started in first person (I/Me/My ... We/Us ... Our/Ours), change it to third person (He/Him/His ... She/Her/Hers ... They/Them/Their/Their). Or vice-versa, switch it from third person to first.

Turn both in on Mon., Sept. 13.

Pre-AP Reading for Week of 9/13

For next week, please read:

• Chapter 26: "Is He Serious? And Other Ironies" from Foster's How to Read Literature... (If you still haven't acquired your copy of the book -- shame on you -- you can read the chapter online via Amazon's "Look Inside" feature (search for "irony," jump to page 235)).


• James Baldwin's "Sonny's Blues." (You were given a copy in class, remember?)

Read "Harrison Bergeron"

Questions updated 9/9 (added 4 & 5)

After reading Vonnegut's "Harrison Bergeron," answer the following questions (in complete sentences).

1. What conflict(s) did Harrison Bergeron have with society?


2. How would he have organized his "empire"? (Who would have power? Who wouldn't?)


3. Is his solution better? Why or why not? (Use the cause/effect graphic organizer below to help you plot your answer.)
   
   


4. Why does the government "handicap" George Bergeron (Harrison's dad) but not Hazel (his mom)?


5. Why don't Harrison's parents respond with more feeling to what they have seen on television?

MLA Standards for IWAs

Please observe these MLA Standards when formatting your Independent Writing Assignment essays:

• Type your paper on a computer and print it out on standard, white 8.5 x 11-inch paper.


• Double-space the text of your paper, and use Times New Roman (Garamond if you're "fancy"). The font size should be 12 pt.


• Leave only one space after periods or other punctuation marks.


• Set the margins of your document to 1 inch on all sides.


• Indent the first line of paragraphs one half-inch from the left margin. MLA recommends that you use the Tab key as opposed to pushing the Space Bar five times. Do not skip a line (i.e., leave a blank line) between paragraphs.

Questions for BtWoB

Use the online version of "By the Waters of Babylon" to help you answer these questions:

1. How are the six steps of the Quest demonstrated in "BtWoB"?
   1. Quester
   2. Destination/Prize
   3. Mentor
   4. Challenges x2
   5. Underworld
   6. True Purpose/Self-Awareness
   
   
   
2. [From page 309 of the textbook] The title of this selection is an allusion, or reference, to Psalm 137 in the Bible. The psalm expresses the sorrow of the Jews over their enslavement in Babylon and the destruction of Zion, their homeland. The psalm begins: "By the waters of Babylon, there we sat down and wept, when we remembered thee, O Zion."
   
   How do the words of the psalm relate to the discoveries John makes about the great burning and the gods? Answer in 2-3 complete sentences.

Read "By the Waters of Babylon"

Didn't finish in class? Read Stephen Vincent Benét's short story here.

Story Intro

This week we are writing the introduction to our 6-Weeks' short story project. Please model your intro on Wetherell's "The Bass, The River, and Sheila Mant."

There was a summer in my life when the only creature that seemed lovelier to me than a largemouth bass was Sheila Mant. I was fourteen. The Mants had rented the cottage next to ours on the river; with their parties, their frantic games of softball, their constant comings and goings, they appeared to me denizens of a brilliant existence. “Too noisy by half,” my mother quickly decided, but I would have given anything to be invited to one of their parties, and when my parents went to bed I would sneak through the woods to their hedge and stare enchanted at the candlelit swirl of white dresses and bright, paisley skirts.

Sheila was the middle daughter—at seventeen, all but out of reach. She would spend her days sunbathing on a float my Uncle Sierbert had moored in their cove, and before July was over I had learned all her moods. If she lay flat on the diving board with her hand trailing idly in the water, she was pensive, not to be disturbed. On her side, her head propped up by her arm, she was observant, considering those around her with a look that seemed queenly and severe. Sitting up, arms tucked around her long, suntanned legs, she was approachable, but barely, and it was only in those glorious moments when she stretched herself prior to entering the water that her various suitors found the courage to come near.

You need to turn in two paragraphs of exposition, not counting dialogue (you are welcome to write dialogue paragraphs, but they don't count toward the two paragraphs of exposition).

Remember, the story details you will need are:

• Time
• Location
• Antagonist
• Friend for Narrator
• What the Narrator wants
• A secret reason the Narrator can't just take what s/he wants (to provide internal conflict)

Due Friday, Sept. 10.

Quest Storyboards

Using a movie or television show as a reference, complete the six-box quest storyboard chart. (Download here if you lost the copy you received in class.) Each section should be illustrated (to the best of your ability; quality stick figures count) and have a brief sentence or two describing that element of the quest.

The six boxes should be completed as follows:

1. Quester: Who is it that goes on the quest?


2. Destination/Prize: Where is the quester going; what does s/he expect to gain?


3. Mentor: Who is it that provides the quester with the guidance and wisdom needed to successfully complete the quest?


4. Challenges/Trials: Divide this illustration box in half and provide two examples of the obstacles the quester must overcome to succeed.


5. Underworld: What is the quester's brush with death/mortality or other symbolic (sometimes, literal) journey through the underworld?


6. True Objective/Self-Awareness: Regardless of whether the quester achieves his/her goal, what new awareness does s/he gain?

Use Chapter One from Foster's How to Read Literature Like a Professor as a guide for steps 1, 2, 4, and 6.

This homework assignment is due Friday, Sept. 10.

Pre-AP Reading for Week of 9/6

For next week, please read:

• Chapter 1: "Every Journey Is a Quest (Except When It Isn't)" from Foster's How to Read Literature...

If you still haven't acquired your copy of the book -- shame on you -- you can read the chapter online via Amazon's "Look Inside" feature (search for "quest," jump to page 1).

Literary Terms #2 (Ekphrastic Poems)

Independent Writing Assignment #1

Both "Musée des Beaux Arts" and "Landscape with the Fall of Icarus" were written as a response to Breughel’s Landscape with the Fall of Icarus. While the poets’ inspiration was the same, their use of the subject matter in their writing is different. In a well-constructed essay contrast the uses of rhetorical strategies and poetic elements employed by Auden and Williams. Consider poetic form, focus, and mood/tone through diction.

You may use your class notes and Foster’s How to Read Literature Like a Professor as a starting point for your analytical essay, but your writing must be your own.

The Bass, The River, and Sheila Mant

If you were absent Sept. 2nd or 3rd, here's the story we read in class: "The Bass, The River, and Sheila Mant", by W. D. Wetherell.

Answer these two questions based on your reading.

1. The narrator had conflicts with
   
   
   1. _______________ (exterior)
   
   
   2. _______________ (exterior)
   
   
   3. _______________ (exterior)
   
   
   4. _______________ (interior)
   
   
   Provide an example or summary of each conflict.
   
   
   
2. What might the author have changed or added to make the story more interesting?

Lit/Prof Chapter 9

If you haven't yet acquired your copy of How to Read Literature Like a Professor and/or read Chapter 9 ("It's All Greek to Me"), you can check it out online.

Hat Tip: Ms. Fariñas

William Carlos Williams' "Landscape with the Fall of Icarus"

This is one of the poems you'll be using for this six weeks' IWA:

Landscape with the Fall of Icarus
William Carlos Williams

According to Brueghel
when Icarus fell
it was spring

a farmer was ploughing
his field
the whole pageantry

of the year was
awake tingling
with itself

sweating in the sun
that melted
the wings' wax

unsignificantly
off the coast
there was

a splash quite unnoticed
this was
Icarus drowning

W.H. Auden's "Musée des Beaux Arts"

This is one of the poems you'll be using for this six weeks' IWA:

Musée des Beaux Arts
W.H. Auden

About suffering they were never wrong,
The old Masters: how well they understood
Its human position: how it takes place
While someone else is eating or opening a window
     or just walking dully along;
How, when the aged are reverently, passionately waiting
For the miraculous birth, there always must be
Children who did not specially want it to happen, skating
On a pond at the edge of the wood:
They never forgot
That even the dreadful martyrdom must run its course
Anyhow in a corner, some untidy spot
Where the dogs go on with their doggy life and the
     torturer's horse
Scratches its innocent behind on a tree.

In Breughel's Icarus, for instance: how everything turns away
Quite leisurely from the disaster; the ploughman may
Have heard the splash, the forsaken cry,
But for him it was not an important failure; the sun shone
As it had to on the white legs disappearing into the green
Water, and the expensive delicate ship that must have seen
Something amazing, a boy falling out of the sky,
Had somewhere to get to and sailed calmly on.

Literary Terms #1 (Neruda's "Poetry")

Pre-AP Reading for Week of 8/30

For next week, please read:

• "Oedipus" from Hamilton's Mythology


• Intro and Chapter 9 ("It's Greek to Me") from Foster's How to Read Literature...

Free PSAT/ACT/SAT Study Guide eBooks

If you have an iPhone or iPod Touch (or iPad ... lucky) you can download free study guide eBooks for the PSAT, ACT, and SAT exams. You must have the (free) iBooks app.

How to get eBooks (now through August 30):

1. Launch iBooks app
2. Navigate to the iBooks store
3. Search for Kaplan Publishing
4. When you find the Test Prep guide(s) you want (there are a lot of college exam guides available, too), download it/them.

Even though you may not take the SAT or ACT exam for another year or so, downloading them now is to your advantage.

Essay on Neruda's "Poetry"

Please write a page-and-a-half analytical essay based on the following prompt.

In Pablo Neruda's "Poetry," how does the poet use literary devices (such as, but not limited to, alliteration, hyperbole, metaphor, paradox, and personification) to convey poetry’s power to transform one’s life?

"Poetry" by Pablo Neruda

After reading the poem, below, find a word or phrase that describes how you feel now, at the beginning of this school year. Copy down that word or phrase and then write why it applies to your life.

Poetry
by Pablo Neruda

And it was at that age… Poetry arrived
in search of me. I don't know, I don't know where
it came from, from winter or a river.
I don't know how or when,
no they were not voices, they were not
words, nor silence,
but from a street I was summoned,
from the branches of night,
abruptly from the others,
among violent fires
or returning alone,
there I was without a face
and it touched me.

I did not know what to say, my mouth
had no way
with names,
my eyes were blind,
and something started in my soul,
fever or forgotten wings,
and I made my own way,
deciphering
that fire,
and I wrote the first faint line,
faint, without substance, pure
nonsense,
pure wisdom
of someone who knows nothing,
and suddenly I saw
the heavens
unfastened
and open,
planets,
palpitating plantations,
shadow perforated,
riddled
with arrows, fire and flowers,
the winding night, the universe.

And I, infinitesimal being,
drunk with the great starry
void,
likeness, image of
mystery,
felt myself a pure part
of the abyss,
I wheeled with the stars,
my heart broke loose on the wind.

(From: 'Memorial de Isla Negra')

We will ALL be sharing our responses out loud, in front of the class.

Past, Present, Future Tense

Write three paragraphs describing your life. In the first paragraph, write about how you used to be (as a child, a grade-schooler, a freshman, etc.) in the past tense (I was, I liked, I ran, etc.). The second paragraph tells about how you are now, and should be written in the present tense (I am, I like, I run, etc.). Third and final paragraph will describe your expectations for yourself in the future (junior, senior, parent, millionaire, etc.) and will be written in the future tense (I will be, I will like, I will run, etc.).

Each paragraph should include an example describing how you were/are/will be. For instance,

When I was six years old I always chewed with my mouth open. One day I was at a picnic with my family and, of course, I was chewing with my mouth open. My sister Rhonda saw a fly land on my mouthful of hamburger and later told me I had eaten the fly. After she told me that, I stopped chewing with my mouth open.

If you can't think of anything, please think harder or make it up. I will not be using my time machine to check out your story.

Stories that are not classroom-appropriate will be returned to you for re-writing in Patriot Academy. Additional consequences may apply.

Tutorial/Conference Hours

I will be in my room available for tutorials on

• Mondays and Thursdays, 4:10–4:30p


• Mornings (by appointment), 7:30–8:15a

My conference period is: Fifth Period (11:58-12:58)

2010/2011 Syllabus

Mr. Mikesell
Rm. 128 / English II (on-level and pre-AP)
cmikesell@dallasisd.org
http://mikesell128.blogspot.com
Tutorial hours: Mon. & Thurs. 4:05–4:30p
Mornings by appointment

SYLLABUS
“Life is short. Learn hard.”

Course Outline
Through this course students will continue to develop higher-order thinking skills through the analysis, evaluation, and critique of literature. This course is also designed to lay and/or build upon the foundation for students as they take advanced levels of English. Students will learn from set objectives established for them to be successful in exams, in other classes, and in life.

Class Norms

• Be Respectful


• Be Prepared


• Be Accountable


• Be Self-Monitoring


• Do Your Best


• (Campus/district policies will be observed also)

Homework
Homework will be assigned regularly. It will usually be due before the tardy bell rings two days after the assignment. Homework will not be accepted the same period that it is assigned. Classwork not finished in class will be treated as homework, with the same deadlines/penalties.

Late Work
Students who have not turned in homework within the first 5 minutes of class the day it is due will be assigned to the after-school Patriot Academy. Work turned in within two days of the due date will be accepted with a 15% grade reduction. Each week an assignment is late will result in an extra 25% reduction in grade.

Classroom Entry Procedure
To make entry into the classroom as smooth as possible, please make sure you’re observing dress code policies. Do not block the door tucking in your shirt, adjusting your ID badge, etc. Once you’ve entered the room, please get your journal. Find your desk and begin the bellringer exercise. Pencils should be sharpened before the tardy bell rings.

Spelling / Vocabulary /
Grammar / Punctuation
All are important, and students are expected to turn in assignments with proper care taken in each of these areas.

Notes and Keeper Sheets
Take notes (we will review the Cornell system in the first semester). You will also be provided with “Keeper” sheets reviewing the basics of key areas we’ll be studying. Keep them all handy. Use them for studying.

Classroom Supplies
Bring these to class every day:

• A 3-ring binder, at least an inch thick


• 5 dividers for the binder (see section on English Binder)


• 2 2-pocket portfolios


• Filler paper (loose-leaf notebook paper)


• Blue or black pens, pencils, highlighters


• A great attitude

Dishonesty
Cheating and plagiarism will not be tolerated. At a minimum zeroes will be recorded in the grade book for either offense, for all parties involved in the cheating or copying. Additional consequences may apply.

Consequences
1st Offense: warning
2nd Offense: hallway “conference”
3rd Offense: call to parent
4th Offense: administrative referral
(Fighting, drug- and gang-related activity will result in immediate administrative/security involvement)

Grading Scale (district standard)

• 20% Classwork


• 20% Homework


• 20% Projects


• 25% Tests


• 15% Six-weeks Exam

Major Texts

• Mythology**


• Antigone*


• How to Read Literature Like a Professor**


• Lord of the Flies**


• The Pearl**


• A Christmas Carol**


• Othello**


• Julius Caesar


• Animal Farm*


• Fahrenheit 451**

*On-level class only, subject to change
**Pre-AP class only

Essays
Writing is an integral part of this course. We will spend time reviewing and learning good grammar usage, style, and voice in class, but for many students class time is not enough. If this is the case for you, attending tutoring will help. The essay can “make or break” your TAKS score as well as your 6-weeks grade. Pre-AP students will be responsible for completing at least one Independent Writing Assignment (IWA) per six-weeks.

Leaving the Classroom
Permission to leave the classroom once the tardy bell has rung will be granted in emergency situations. Please monitor your liquid intake: only one restroom pass per student will be granted each month. Student must have student planner in order to receive restroom pass.

TJ Battle Book
This year, TJHS will provide each student with a binder. This will be your “Battle Book.” It is required that you bring it to school EVERY day, as your 5th period teacher will be checking it. It will have 8 dividers, one for each period of the day. Under the English tab, the following must ALWAYS be present:

1. Syllabus for this class (this sheet)


2. Assignment sheet
   (which you must maintain)


3. Personal Dictionary

English Binder
In addition to your Battle Book, you must have a 1-inch English binder (color does not matter), which only contains material from this class. You must have this binder EVERY day, because you will use it EVERY day.

1. You will need to have 5 dividers:


1. Notes/ Handouts


2. Graded CW/ HW


3. Tests/ Quizzes


4. Literary Terms Dictionary


5. Extra Paper


2. Up to two binder grades will be taken every 6-weeks, which will count as project grades.

You CANNOT leave your binder in this classroom. Not only is it a tool to help you study, but in the past, theft/vandalism has been a problem.

Pop Quiz: Mythological Allusion #1

Who is the character shown here, and besides his name, what other characteristic does he share with that mythological character?

Answer in the comments.

Graphic Organizer to Help with Allusions

I've worked with the other pre-AP teachers to come up with a graphic organizer to help you structure your thoughts about the allusions you've found and then write your responses for the project. (We'll be using this, or something similar, during the school year whenever we look at literary and/or rhetorical devices, as well.)

Here's the graphic organizer with an explanation of what to do in the various sections.

And an example of how to fill it out.

Using the example, above, we could compose the following paragraph* about Agatha Christie's choice of name for her detective Hercule Poirot:

In choosing the name Hercule Poirot, Agatha Christie makes an allusion to the mythological character Hercules. Hercules was known for his strength; Poirot, however, is a short, out-of-shape, egg-shaped man. On the other hand Poirot is unmatched when it comes to intellect. The two men are both very strong, just in very different ways. By using irony Christie is able to make Poirot the opposite of Hercules, yet still have them share something in common. Poirot is able to overcome “Herculean” trials with the power of his mind. Instead of flexing his muscles, he merely has to flex his “little gray cells” and great mysteries are solved.

Download and print blank graphic organizers to help you complete the summer assignment.

* Note: This example lacks title and chapter/page & paragraph information and would not receive full credit in a summer project...

New Book for 2010

A new book has been added to the reading list for next year: Lord of the Flies by William Golding.

We'll begin reading this at the end of the first six weeks, so you have some time yet to buy it, but don't procrastinate too long. It should be a fairly regular find at Half Price Books; the link above takes you to Amazon where the book can be had (used) from a reseller for $4, including shipping.

The reading list now looks like this:

• Mythology, Edith Hamilton
  (primarily summer reading, but some new sections will be assigned during the school year)


• How to Read Literature like a Professor, Thomas C. Foster
  (This may be hard to find at Half Price; we'll be referring to it all year, so don't rely on checking it out from the public library)


• Lord of the Flies, by William Golding


• The Pearl, John Steinbeck


• A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens


• Othello, William Shakespeare


• Julius Caesar, William Shakespeare


• Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury

Be Careful: Don't Buy the Wrong Book

Thomas C. Foster has written two books with similar titles: How to Read Literature Like a Professor and How to Read Novels Like a Professor.

The book you need when school begins is the Literature book.

Remember: the first two letters of NOVELS is NO. Do NOT buy the "novels" book. (Alternatively, the first two letters of Literature is Li and Jet Li is an awesome martial arts actor who will go kung-fu on you if you buy the wrong book.)

Consider yourself informed.

Be Careful: What's NOT an Allusion

If a mythological character actually appears in the work of literature you're considering, it's NOT an allusion. For instance, when Poseidon and the other gods and goddesses show up in the Percy Jackson novels (or Clash of the Titans novelization, for that matter), it not an allusion.

An allusion occurs when a character is figuratively compared to a literary or historical figure (in our case, mythological). The literal appearance of such a character automatically makes it not an allusion.

If you have questions about what is/isn't an allusion, write them in the "comments" section of this post.

Free Weekend of Shakespeare

Target is sponsoring a free weekend of Shakespeare Dallas, July 16-18, at the Samuell-Grand Amphitheater east of Downtown. On the 16th either "Comedy of Errors" or "Cymbeline" will be performed. "Cymbeline" will be the play on the 17th and 18th. The plays will begin at 8:15 PM each day.

As suggested by the title, "Comedy of Errors" is a comedy, as opposed to the tragedies we'll be reading in class. If you thought "Romeo and Juliet" was a bummer your freshman year, this should be a more enjoyable experience.

"Cymbeline" is also non-tragic and presents a number of similarities to "Othello," a play we will be reading next school year. Get a jump on it by seeing this play ahead of time.

I plan to be there on the 18th. Hope to see you there.

Done with the Summer Project Already?

Following is a list of short stories that will prepare you for reading the first text of the year, How to Read Literature Like a Professor. We'll be reading many of these during class, but the "Professor" book will make a little more sense if you've read these stories ahead of time. Each of the stories is available online, which means they may disappear without warning, and although there may be typos, you should be able to figure them out. (Post a comment/e-mail me if you discover a story to be missing.)

Enjoy!

Araby - James Joyce

The Arrow of Heaven - G.K. Chesterton

Barn Burning - William Faulkner

The Dead - James Joyce

Cathedral - Raymond Carver

Daisy Miller - Henry James

The Fall of the House of Usher - Edgar Allan Poe

The Gingerbread House - Robert Coover (The story is the 42 numbered sections on the left-hand side of the page; ignore the ads.)

The Metamorphosis - Franz Kafka

The Overcoat - Nikolai Gogol

Rip Van Winkle - Washington Irving

Rocking-Horse Winner - D.H. Lawrence

Sonny's Blues - James Baldwin

A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings - Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Why I Live at the P.O. - Eudora Welty

Look for "Look Inside"

"Look Inside" is a feature at Amazon.com that allows you to preview the text of a book. Why should you care? Because your summer assignment requires you to quote and cite the paragraph(s) where the allusions occur, along with an analysis of each allusion.

If a Google search reveals allusions to Hercules in Shakespeare's Hamlet, hop on over to Amazon.com and enter Hamlet into the search field. If one of the William Shakespeare editions comes up with "Look Inside" on the picture of the cover (like the image, above), select it. When you mouse over the cover, a "search inside this book" field will appear. Plug in "Hercules" and see what comes up. (In the case of a play like Hamlet, cite the Act, Scene, and Line number; for a regular fiction or non-fiction book the page number and paragraph will work.)

If the book you're looking for doesn't come up with a "Look Inside" option, head on over to the library or a bookstore (Borders, Barnes & Noble, Half Price Books, Books-a-Million) and gently look through the books.

Are You Scheduled for Ms. Farinas' Class?

Schedules are starting to make their way out to students. If you're scheduled to have Ms. Farinas as your Pre-AP English II teacher, please check out her website: farinas127.blogspot.com.