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Friday, September 30, 2011

The Last Samurai II / Critial Lens Essay Practice, continued

Grade 12
  • Continued movie to 49:30
  • Discussion followed.
  • Reminder: Group 'A' journals due on Tuesday.

Grade 10
  • Pd 5: Finished first body paragraph of critical lens essay begun yesterday. The, in groups, worked on another quote and introduction.
  • Pd 8: Finished first body paragraph of critical lens essay begun yesterday. Class was shortened due to Pep Rally.
  • Next week we will continue critical lens essay prep, but will also begin our first novel of the year.

Thursday, September 29, 2011

The Last Samurai I / Critial Lens Essay Practice, continued

Grade 12
  • Collected essays.
  • Reviewed the four functions of myth: sociological, pedagogical, cosmological, and metaphysical.
  • Introduced the story and the characters.
  • Viewed movie to 23:00
  • Discussed functions of myth illustrated so far, and steps of the hero journey covered.

Grade 10
  • Journal: Pd. 6: write about an early memory. Pd.8: Write about a memory from middle school
  • Continued Critical Lens Essay practice. Interpreted a quote, chose stories that applied, wrote the introductory paragraph and started the first body paragraph.
  • Handout: Literary elements:

Antagonist: Counterpart to the main character and source of a story’s main conflict. The person may not be “bad” or “evil” by any conventional moral standard, but he/she opposes the protagonist in a significant way.

Climax: The turning point in a story, at which the end result becomes inevitable, usually where something suddenly goes terribly wrong; the “dramatic high point” of a story.

Conflict: A struggle between opposing forces which is the driving force of a story. The outcome of any story provides a resolution of the conflict(s); this is what keeps the reader reading. Conflicts can exist between individual characters, between groups of characters, between a character and society, etc., and can also be purely abstract (conflicting ideas).

Mood / Tone: Mood is the atmosphere or emotional condition created by the piece, within the setting. The mood is conveyed in part through the author’s tone. Tone is the apparent emotional state, or “attitude,” of the speaker / narrator / narrative voice, as conveyed through the language of the piece.

Plot: Sequence of events in a story. Most literary essay tasks will instruct the writer to “avoid plot summary;” the term is therefore rarely useful for response or critical analysis. When discussing plot, it is generally more useful to consider its structure, rather than simply “what happens.”

Point-of-view: The identity of the narrative voice; the person or entity through whom the reader experiences the story. May be third-person (no narrator; omniscient or limited) or first-person (narrated by a character in the story). Point-of-view is a commonly misused term; it does not refer to the author’s (or characters’) feelings, opinions, perspectives, biases, etc. Remember the car crash: the first person on the scene says, "I saw it, I was there." The second person is given directions: "You, call 911 and go get help" (second person voice is rarely found in literature). The third person to get to the accident scene says, "That guy over there saw the crash. He said that the car came from that direction..."

Protagonist: The main character in a story, the one with whom the reader is meant to identify. The person is not necessarily “good” by any conventional moral standard, but he/she is the person in whose plight the reader is most invested.

Setting: The time and place where a story occurs. The setting can be specific (e.g., New York City in 1930) or ambiguous (e.g., a large urban city during economic hard times). Also refers directly to a description thereof.

Theme: The main idea or message conveyed by the piece. A theme is generally stated as a complete sentence; an idea expressed as a single word or fragmentary phrase is a motif.

Allegory: Where every aspect of a story is representative, usually symbolic, of something else, usually a larger abstract concept or important historical/geopolitical event – such as Animal Farm.

Alliteration: The repetition of the same sounds or of the same kinds of sounds at the beginning of words or in stressed syllables, as in “on scrolls of silver snowy sentences”

Allusion: A reference to something supposed to be known, but not explicitly mentioned. In “Throwing the Racetrack Cats at Saratoga” (the one we read in class), the mention of Herod is an allusion because it refers to something outside of the poem.

Characterization: The author’s means of conveying to the reader a character’s personality, life history, values, physical attributes, etc. Also refers directly to a description thereof.

Foreshadowing: Where future events in a story, or perhaps the outcome, are suggested by the author before they happen.

Imagery: Language which describes something in detail, using words to substitute for and create sensory stimulation, including visual imagery and sound imagery. Also refers to specific and recurring types of images, such as food imagery and nature imagery.

Metaphor: More than a simple comparison - a metaphor relates one thing as being another. If someone says, “My friend is a real pit bull,” they likely mean that he is aggressive, intense, violent – as opposed to short and dog-like.

Motif: A recurring important idea or image. A motif differs from a theme in that it can be expressed as a single word or fragmentary phrase, while a theme usually must be expressed as a complete sentence.

Personification: Where inanimate objects or abstract concepts are seemingly endowed with human self-awareness; where human thoughts, actions and perceptions are directly attributed to inanimate objects or abstract ideas.

Simile: An indirect relationship where one thing or idea is expressed as being similar to another – often using “like” or “as.”

Structure: The manner in which the various elements of a story are assembled (may also be considered a literary element).

Symbolism: The use of specific objects or images to represent abstract ideas.

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

"Just Drawn That Way" / Short Story Exam

Grade 12
  • Reviewed steps to the hero journey.
  • Read "Just Drawn That Way" by Michael Arthur. Students indicate steps on the hero journey in the story, then discuss their findings with their peer review teams. When done, share findings with whole group.
  • Final copy of question #27 due tomorrow.
Grade 10
  • Short Story Exam I
  • Tomorrow, continue intro to the critical lens essay

Monday, September 26, 2011

POM Review / Critical Lens Intro

Grade 12
  • Review College App Essay objectives for both content and mechanics. Essays need to demonstrate positive, personal growth! Simple mechanical errors need to be caught in peer review!
  • Journal: personal reflection on The Power of Myth
  • Group discussion.
  • Tomorrow: peer review for essay #3.
  • B group journals due.

Grade 10
  • Journal: open topic (5 minutes)
  • Intro the Critical Lens Essay.
  • Distribute essay format.
  • Discuss interpreting quotes.
  • Give examples.
  • Short story exam on Wednesday!

Friday, September 23, 2011

POM V / "The Open Window" Video

Grade 12
  • Finish the video.
  • Discuss.
  • In class journals: Process the information from the video.What are your thoughts and reactions? What resonated? (Aha! moments?) How does it relate to you?
  • Will share in peer review groups on Monday.
Grade 10
  • Check HW ("Open Window" outline.
  • Those without, do in hallway.
  • Those who did, watch video.
  • Discuss Vera's character.
  • Discuss outline.
Grade 9

Thursday, September 22, 2011

POM IV / "The Open Window" by Saki

Grade 12
  • Note: I neglected to give pds 1 and 3 the next essay question! #27 in your essay handout: "You have just completed your 300-page autobiography. Please submit page 217." (University of Pennsylvania) Draft due next Tuesday for peer review.
  • Collected essay #2.
  • Discussed college app essay sample submitted to Wellesley
  • Discussed The Second Deadly Sin of Writing: Incorrect punctuation of two independent clauses.
  • POM to 43:30. Slaying your dragon and following your bliss.
Grade 10
  • Homework completion was something of an issue today, so....
  • Classes were directed to read "The Open Window" and annotate for character development (last nights HW). Those who had the homework done started on tonight's HW.
  • In pencil, complete the outline for "The Open Window."

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Journal Feedback - POM / Masque Wrap-Up

Grade 12

Journal items:
  • Time your entries! I know you can write more than one sentence per minute! A full five minutes of writing should cover most of a page at least.
  • Practice strengthening standard writing conventions. Facebook writing cannot bleed through into your journals.
  • Variety! Don't stick to one topic. Write about what is important to you.
  • If you want me to read your journal and give you feedback, it must be handed in on time. Essays are due tomorrow. I won't have the timne to read late journals. I will scan them for effort, grade accordingly and deduct late points.
  • Power of Myth III
  • Continued the video and ended at 34:00
  • Essays due tomorrow!
Grade 10
  • In groups: go over last nights HW (Masque outline), revise and refine.
  • Full class review.
  • HW: Read "The Open Window" by Saki. Annotate, focusing on character development.

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Peer Review / "Masque"Finale

Grade 12
  • Handouts: 100 college application questions; college search; The Seven Deadly Sins of Writing
  • Emphasized the need for students to use the 5 days between the essay assignment and peer review for constructing the best draft possible. Especially as there are only 2 days for writing the final copy. Time management and discipline!
  • Collected journals from pd 1 and pd 3 through "L" on the class list.
  • Peer review on essay #2 (quest. 29 in the above packet)
  • Final copy due Thursday.

Grade 10
  • Journal: What do the rooms in the story represent?
  • Finish reading the story. Discuss the symbolism of the mysterious figure, the climax and the
    dénouement.
  • HW: In notebook and in pencil, complete the outline of the story to the best of you ability. We'll go over it in teams tomorrow, and as a class.

Monday, September 19, 2011

Grammar Fun! and Power of Myth Part II / "The Masque of the Red Death" Part II

Grade 12
  • Discussed my observations of the first essay. Went over common errors, especially those that should have been picked up during peer review and revision.Continued with Power of Myth to 23:00. significant quote: "The adventure that the hero gets is the one he's ready for."
  • Essay #2 is due tomorrow for peer review.
  • Journals for period 1 and 3A are due tomorrow.

Grade 10
  • Journal: What is important to you? Why?
  • Review friday's reading of "Masque".
  • Discuss, as an example, how the word "east" could be used symbolically/metaphorically. East >direction > sunrise > new beginning > new life > birth. East = birth
  • Continue reading and explaining the story. Finished the last complete paragraph on pg. 175. Discussed the layout and appearance of the rooms, the significance of the seventh or western room and the clock.
  • HW: read and annotate through the last full paragraph on page 176.

Friday, September 16, 2011

The Power of Myth / Intro to "The Masque of the Red Death" by Edgar Allen Poe

Grade 12
  • Read example college app essay accepted by Cornel University, discussed elements that make it a successful essay: humor, novel theme, clear and concise sentence structure and expression.
  • Began viewing, and taking notes from, episode 1 of  "Joseph Campbell and The Power of Myth; The Hero's Adventure." Discuss as needed.
  • Reminder: group A journals due on Tuesday.
  • Practice college app essay #2 due Tuesday.
Grade 10
  • Journal: Write about a time when you were frightened. Describe it in detail.
  • Finish outline for "Soft Rains."
  • Intro "The Masque of the Red Death." Read and annotate the first two paragraphs focusing on tone and setting.
  • HW: Study first 8 vocabulary words.

Thursday, September 15, 2011

The Hero's Journey / "Soft Rains", Continued

Grade 12
  • Collected essays.
  • Read and discussed sample college app essay accepted by Harvard.
  • A work of advice: Coming up with an imaginative title will bait the hook for the reader. Consider doing this.
  • Continued Mythology slideshow, focusing on The Hero's Journey.
  • Discussion included the application of the story of the hero, psychologically, to one's own life.
  • Assigned question for essay # 2, due Tuesday for peer review.
  • What do you think people who know you would be surprised to learn about you? Limit your response to two pages, double spaced.(Rice University)

Grade 10
  • Journal: What is the theme of "There Will Come Soft Rains?" Define it in a thesis statement and prove it. (Try main idea if thesis is too difficult.)
  • Discuss.
  • Hand back essays.
  • Begin outlining "Soft Rains" together.
  • HW: Preview "The Masque of the Red Death" by Edgar Allen Poe.
  • Vocab: Become familiar with words 1 through 6 be Monday.

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Intro to Mythology / "There Will Come Soft Rains," continued

Grade 12
  • Read sample college application essay from the University of Chicago.
  • Intro to Mythology; begin slideshow. Take notes
  • Pd 1, up to slide 12
  • Pd 3, up to slide 11
  • Pd 5, up to slide 9
  • The slideshow is available to students in my folder in the student directory.

Grade 10
  • Finish reading and annotating "Soft Rains."
  • Journal: What is the most disturbing image in the story? Why is it disturbing? What part does it play in the story?
  • Begin discussion of story with journal answers as spring board.

Technology Guidelines/ Peer Review / "There Will Come Soft Rains"

This is Tuesday's (9/13) update. I was quite sure I finished and posted it, but this is what  happens on a sleep deprived Tuesday after a late Open House Monday.

When I taught Computer Literacy for SUNY Plattsburg, I warned my students about the dependability of computer technology. Don't trust it. Everyone knows Murphy's Law: Anything That Can Go Wrong, Will Go Wrong.

Well, with computers, we need to add another Law: "Anything That Can't Go Wrong, Will Find Some Way Of Going Wrong."

Please follow the following technology guidelines for my classes:
  • Do NOT email me your work. Being responsible for my work is more than enough.
  • If your printer fails you, email your work to a friend to print out for you. You all have friends.
  • If necessary, email your work to yourself as an attached file. Open the file at school and print it out  before class starts.
  • If absolutely necessary, bring the file on a thumb drive, early in the morning, and ask a teacher for help getting it printed. Student profiles do not have access to the USB ports. This is a last resort only.
  • Back up your files! This cannot be emphasized strongly enough. The Computer God is all rules and no mercy and He will smite you. Save your files to a removable disc.
  • While working, save constantly!
  • Make sure the programs you use are compatible with the school's programs. If you don't have MS Office at home, you can very often save files in an Office format: File Menu > Save as > Save as Type > Select appropriate program from the pull down menu.
Grade 12
  • Went over technology guidelines.
  • Reviewed peer review process: read mindfully for careless errors, grammar and mechanics issues. Also note positives, where imagery is done well, etc.
  • Final copy due Thursday.
Grade 10
  • Journal: Who has had the greatest impact on you and why?
  • Collected theme/tone essays.
  • Discuss journals.
  • Intro "There Will Come Soft Rains" by Ray Bradbury.
  • Since short story packets have not arrived yet, we will be reading out of the anthology and annotating in notebooks.

Monday, September 12, 2011

Lying, Cheating and Stealing / "The Last Unicorns" by Edward Hoch

Grade 12
  • Handout: "Students Lie, Cheat and Steal..." by David Cary. Read, and responded in in-class journals.
  • Discuss
  • Encourage class participation. Instructors will only know who you are if you participate in class! Come up with at least one thing to contribute in each class. Don't be passive learners.
  • Returned letter responses (except for period 5). Discussed observations.
  • Assigned peer review teams (except for period 5), discussed directions for peer review process.
  • First essay due tomorrow for peer review!
Grade 10
  • Journal: Select one moment from the weekend and describe it in as much detail as possible. (A moment is no more than a few seconds.)
  • Collect HW.
  • Continue reading "The Last Unicorns." Annotate and discuss.
  • Complete outline together to be used as a model.

Friday, September 09, 2011

"Fertile Ground" / Themes and Tones Continued

Grade 12
  • Read and discussed a piece written by myself titled "Fertile Ground" about a visit to Ground Zero two years after 9/11 in terms of the qualities that make a successful college application essay. (Note: The link brings you to the text of the essay. At the bottom is a link to a video of Harry Roland. I'm not sure if the link still works but give it a shot if you're interested.)
  •  Discussed aspects of the college application process:
  • When visiting schools, sign in. Leave evidence of your interest in the institution. Send a thank you letter if you take a tour.
  • You do not know if your family can afford a private college or university until you have completed the financial aid process. Many private institutions have healthy endowments and offer very generous financial aid packages to families.
  • Start becoming familiar with The Common Application website. Make sure you use Internet Explorer when working on this website.
  • Other useful website in your college search:
  • The College Board: ("The College Board is driven by a single goal — to ensure that every student has the opportunity to prepare for, enroll in and graduate from college.")
  • College Confidential Questbridge Programs: ("QuestBridge is a non-profit program that links bright, motivated low-income students with educational and scholarship opportunities at some of the nation's best colleges. QuestBridge is the provider of the National College Match Program and the College Prep Scholarship.")
  • College Confidential: ("Here you'll find hundreds of pages of articles about choosing a college, getting into the college you want, how to pay for it, and much more. You'll also find the Web's busiest discussion community related to college admissions, and our CampusVibe section!")
  • U.S. News and World Report: One of the best sites for information on college rankings and other information.
  • A+ Options for B Students: Part of the previous website.
  • Reminder: First essay due Tuesday.
Grade 10
  • Journal: Choose a story you are familiar with (movie, book, TV show, etc.) and discuss the theme and tone of that story. Share and discuss.
  • Handout Literature Quick Review Sheet:
Title:


Author:

I. The “Big Four”

A. Characters:

B. Theme:

C. Plot:

D. Setting:

II. Plot Breakdown

A. Motivation:

B. Conflict:

C. Complication:

D. Suspense:

E. Climax:

F. Dénouement:

III. Analytical Elements

A. POV:

B. Other Literary Elements (allusion, symbolism, irony, etc.) :

  • Begin reading "The Last Unicorn" by Edward Hoch. Read for setting, tone, mood. Annotate.
  • Finished the first two paragraphs.
  • HW: Theme and tone assignment. See yesterday's post.

Thursday, September 08, 2011

The Loss of Innocence / You Life is a Story

Grade 12
  • Portfolio information was handed out:
1) General
a) Appearance
i) Neatly bound to the best of your ability and imagination
ii) Cover should be sturdy
iii) Titled
iv) Designed in a manner indicative of who you are
v) All pages typed unless otherwise directed
b) Table of contents
i) Separated by units/sections.
2) Sections
a) First Semester
i) Signed contracts
ii) Intro Letter Response
iii) College applications
(1) All graded drafts, final on top
iv) Reflection journals
(1) At least 5 per marking period, dated, titled

  • Students received class contracts to be signed and shown to me tomorrow
  • Discussed 'voice' in writing. Identified examples of voice in my letter.
  • Discussed journal expectations: Journals are for exploring yourself and being aware of the quality of your own writing.
  • Read essay on innocence by Prof. W.T. Jewekes from his book, Man the Myth-Maker.
  • First essay, 300-400 words relating to the above reading: When were you no longer a child? First draft due Tuesday, 9/13. Typed and printed according to directions. Lines need to be numbered (every 5 would do the trick) for peer review. Note: Your peers are going to read this. Decide carefully how personal this piece is going to be.
  • Journal Dates:
  • Group 'A' (1st period and 3rd period students 'A' through 'L') due 9/20
  • Group 'B' (3rd period 'M' through 'Y' and 5th period) due 9/27
  • Minimum of 7 journal entries, each at least 5 full minutes of writing.
Grade 10
  • Checked yesterday's journal entry.
  • Journal: if you life is a story, what is the title and why?
  • Introduce 60 second edit.
  • Handouts: class contracts. We read and discussed them, students signed them. They are to be signed by parents and returned tomorrow.
  • Directions for first writing assignment handed out and explained:
  • 1) Title 2) Introduction
    a) Define the tone and theme of your life right now as a thesis statement. Discuss in general terms.
    3) Discuss your theme and supporting details. What is the theme of your life right now? Why? Themes may center around a conflict (you against _________.), desire (I want _________, but __________ is in the way.), good fortune, friendship, family, etc. If you have difficulty finding a theme, please see me for guidance. The title you’ve chosen should refer to this theme.
    4) Discuss the main ‘tone’ in your life right now.. What is the primary feeling in your story? Why? Give examples. Describe particular events that represent the tone, and your feelings about it.
    5) Conclusions: Did you learn anything from this exercise?
    OR
    6) Write an actual narrative... the story of this stage of your life.
    a) You may center the story around one single event, written in story form.
    i) Think plot, setting, conflict.
    7) Use language that will imply the tone. Again, think of a title that will point you in the direction of a theme... but don't state the theme directly until the end of the story. Write this from either the first or third person point of view.
  • Due Monday, 9/12

Wednesday, September 07, 2011

Welcome Back!

Check here for class and home work, comments, suggestions, hints. Click the "Like" button above to subscribe to the class Facebook page. You can ask me questions there and I can haunt you about deadlines. ;-)

Hopefully my xeroxing will be in tomorrow so we can catch up with handouts.

Remember... It's almost June.

Cheers,
Mr. Lambert

Grade 12
  • Due tomorrow: response to my intro letter.
  • You need: a multi-subject notebook (class notes, class journal, miscelleanous)
  • A separate personal journal. You will be required to complete at least 7 journal entries, each to be a minimum of 5 minutes of writing. Journals will be collected every two weeks.
  • Portfolio: directions will be given out tomorrow. Your portfolio will be due some time in May and will be 1/3 of your final exam grade. Just about everything you do in this course will be included, so you NEED to plan a strategy for maintaining and organizing your work now.

Grade 10
  • Materials required: multi-subject notebook, folder(s)
  • Discussed importance of getting work done on time and staying organized.
  • Vocab:
1. Theme: a unifying idea that is a repeating element in literary or artistic work
Ex: “Never give up.” “Accept what can’t be avoided.” “The need of the one outweighs the need of the many.”
2. Tone: shows the author’s attitudes toward the subject and toward the audience. Tone may be formal, informal, intimate, solemn, sad, playful, serious, ironic, condescending, or many other possible attitudes.
3. Mood: the emotions that you feel while you are reading.

  • 5 minute in class journal activity: if your life is a story, what, currently, is the theme and tone of the story. finish for HW.