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: