English 12 2022 Daily Blog

Monday, June 20th

Last week of your K-12 education.

I have a template for you to fill out for Ru – looks like you have an idea of what you want to write about.

Ru Final Paper

This is a final final. please don’t ask me to help you write it. Use the tools I taught you to get through this!

Tuesday – Wednesday write in class.

Thursday –  Skip day. Enjoy!

Friday – Elliot will bring us Tim Hortons. (Per. 5 will be Jeremy) I give you final grades.

Wednesday, June 15th

Today, let’s move the desks – we’ll read the novel together, passing on the chapters through the class. In this respect, you will be able to enjoy the different voices of the same narrator.

The final 30 minutes will be for you to choose a close reading and analyze it as you have done for Frankenstein. Thursday and Friday will look the same as this.

We will also look at the questions (I will post them again)

This is a story of political oppression and the loss of human rights, but it is also funny. What is the purpose of humor in a tragic story? What does humor do for the main character? What does it do for you as a reader?

The short chapters of this novel make it unique. What was your reaction to the structure? Did you find yourself making connections between the chapters?

Tuesday, June 14th

Let’s finish the annotated bibliographies today, then we can start the text.

At any time, I would like for you to find guiding questions that are in the text. Of course throughout the class from today through next Tuesday, I will give you class time to finish the questions that I have below and also close reading – real time.

If there is a piece of the writing that you find to be interesting, stop me as I am reading so that we can explore. Ultimately, this whole experience is for you to come up with a working thesis on the Refugee diaspora from Vietnam to Canada. How is the narrative focus a good way in which to learn such a difficult topic?

Here is the essay question:

How does the narrator in Kim Thuy’s novel Ru explicate the refugee experience in modern day Canada? What does this say about the nature of the Vietnamese diaspora?

Obviously this is a big question, but for a five day period, you will be focused entirely on collecting data on the keywords of the question: NARRATOR /REFUGEE /CANADA /DIASPORA . This is how you should break down every question in post secondary education for data collection.

For now I’ll break it down for you. So focus on these questions today:

This is a story of political oppression and the loss of human rights, but it is also funny. What is the purpose of humor in a tragic story? What does humor do for the main character? What does it do for you as a reader?

The short chapters of this novel make it unique. What was your reaction to the structure? Did you find yourself making connections between the chapters?

Monday, June 13th

I will hand out copies of Ru by Kim Thuy – Here is an online version: Ru – Kim Thuy This is a fast unit or a’ hidden final paper’ in a book. I have taught you everything about how to complete all assignments. The whole unit is a review or ‘summative assessment’. Here’s the outline of the final 2 weeks:

Wednesday – Wednesday: Daily reading in class. We will finish the novel in a week.

I will give you an outline of the “Thematic Focus” as I always do:

The_Vietnamese_diaspora_in_the_U_S

Take a look at these articles today:

1. Refugee_Gratitude(Nguyen)
2. Refugee Narratives in Ru
3. Book Review_ Ru by Kim Th

Annotated bibliography due on Tuesday 14th June 11:59PM

Part 1 (Summary)

1.The main idea of this article is…….

2.The topics covered in this article are…….

3.The author’s point of view in this article is……

Part 2 (Rhetoric) 

1.The author of this piece is/is not credible because……

2.The author knows a lot about this topic because….

3.From this piece, the author wants you to………….

Part 3 (Reflection)

1.This article supports my ideas because…..

2.This article was helpful to me because….

3.This article added to my knowledge about this topic because….

Three close readings due by Wednesday June 22nd at 11:59PM

Close Reading Ru

Final in class examination Tuesday – Wednesday June 21st & 22nd  (end of class)

While we are reading, take these discussion questions into consideration:

Thursday, June 9th

So here is the plan – the class is split until Monday:

Per 4:

Here are the peer sheets to help you:

Peer Edit Sheet

You now have a working rough draft. Now you can ask more questions for today and Friday. I can help you and also so can your peers. It’s due Friday at 11:59PM

Per 5:

You lucked out (kind of)

Tomorrow we have Cloe and the gang’s final panel discussion. 30 minutes.

Tomorrow and Friday you have time to work on the assignment – rough is due Friday at 3:15PM

Monday we start a new unit. Tuesday your final is due – but there’s no help in class for it.

Tuesday, June 7th

Let’s finish off the Socratic circles (or panel discussion). They will take as long as they take.

Today is the in class preparation for the in class writing tomorrow – This is a good practice for the ‘final’ final for the book Ru by Kim Thuy.

I hope you have some notes and a semblance of what you’re going to write about for this book. Remember to try and follow the structure. Tomorrow, you will have the entire block to get everything done, then turn it in for the end of class. (3:15PM due – Per. 4’s have some extra time).

Thursday will be a tutor session and peer review.

Friday will be the final day for you to work on the paper before you turn it in by 11:59PM. I will attach the peer review sheet on Thursday so that you have a checklist.

Thursday, June 2nd

Final discussion questions today (Close reading first for period 5 Gianluca and Joyce)

45 mins to prepare – 35 mins to complete the discussion. Book wide discussion (Graded) tomorrow.

Wednesday, June1st

Purdy Literary Analysis Step 2.0 Frankenstein

This again. Very important. Your first draft will be in class on Monday, so you need as much prep as you can get until then.

Let’s revisit the whole idea of coming up with a good idea base for your paper. I made my honors kids do different points for the papers you read. (You do annotated bibliographies – so there’s not much difference)

Here are a few of my favorites from that time:

Sunderji_A Psychoanalytical Points

MaccormackM_Points2

McCready_R Points2

Tuesday, May 31st

Quick Close reading from

Andre / Venice.

Discussion Questions of ‘Aftermath’ chapters 19-20.

Today, I would like you to start generating ideas for completing this question in a literary analysis level response. The following document will help you through this process.

Purdy Literary Analysis Step 2.0 Frankenstein

We are almost at the end of this excellent novel. It is time for you now to seriously think about the questions you have answered and the quotes you’ve closely read to find common connections through that psychoanalytical lens.

I will help you through this process. I am guessing next Wednesday should be a good final due date before the final book (Ru by Kim Thuy) is assigned.

Tuesday, May 24th

Today, I will not be here. You should be finishing the assignment for today. I will also have you work on tomorrow’s assignment as well. This is a work block. We can get caught up tomorrow if I am feeling better – but posted below is the schedule. Please use the time wisely to read as much as possible. We’re getting to the third layer of the story today – the monster / creature’s perspective.

May 24th: Day 7: Consequences: Chapters 9-10   Questions:   1. Who is at fault for William’s death? Is anyone other than the murderer responsible for what happened? 2. How might Justine’s trial have differed in today’s court system? 3. How does Victor’s guilt affect his health? What is Shelley’s purpose in this recurring plot device? 4. How is Victor’s reaction toward the Valley of Chamounix a departure from his previous views of nature?

May 25th: Day 8: The Creature’s Story: Chapter 11-13 Quote Journals Part 3 (See Handout Below)

Thursday, May 19th

Date: May 18th	Page #: 34
Passage You Chose:	Annotation:
The astonishment which I had at first experienced on this discovery soon gave place to delight and rapture. After so much time spent in painful labour, to arrive at once at the summit of my desires, was the most gratifying consummation of my toils. But this discovery was so great and overwhelming, that all the steps by which I had been progressively led to it were obliterated, and I beheld only the result. What had been the study and desire of the wisest men since the creation of the world, was now within my grasp. Not that, like a magic scene, it all opened upon me at once: the information I had obtained was of a nature rather to direct my endeavours so soon as I should point them towards the object of my search, than to exhibit that object already accomplished. I was like the Arabian who had been buried with the dead, and found a passage to life aided only by one glimmering, and seemingly ineffectual, light.	I.   -The tone of the passage is a great contrast to what has happened earlier with Victor. His discovery of ‘life’ is worth all the toil and trouble.   -How Victor talks down about the magic of the situation and only focuses on what his own ego can see – which is in his mind- HIS finding.   -audacity of his own ego.   -Yes compliment each other because hard work pays off yet can be a result of falsified delusions of ego before cold hard fact.   -A sense of wonder / positive / accomplishment   II. -Arabian (Refers to Sinbad) Scheherazade’s story –Talks mainly about discovery of life / something that is very powerful in nature. -“Creation” “Discovery” Could be motif   -Talking about light vs. dark – could relate to Victor’s own mental though process.   -endeavors: pursuit, goals   III   -Nature: Image of the natural environment is constantly referred to. -This passage is a catalyst to the obsession in witch Victor succumbs to throughout the text. His initial happiness will soon be overshadowed. -Sentences build on themselves, creating tension and release. -Repetition of the word – Discovery – meaning potential uncovering of truth perhaps to the detriment of the seeker.   -1st person narration   IV.   We see the fruits of Victors labor. Also we see a pattern of Victor’s constant ups and downs. -The question remains – is the pursuit of truth worth one person’s life. -No – this passage is mainly concerned with the illumination of one scientist’s original ideas come to life –   V.   Has similie to the Arabian – which is an allusion to the 1001 nights text.   -Life vs death as a form of discovery   VI.   This is a eureka moment for the protagonist. This is the inception of an idea that can grow to elevate a character or end up destroying them (which I think will happen)

 

Wednesday, May 18th

You will follow the directions above and annotate the passage accordingly. The following is an example I completed with Period 4.

Winter, spring, and summer, passed away during my labours; but I did not watch the blossom or the expanding leaves—sights which before always yielded me supreme delight, so deeply was I engrossed in my occupation. The leaves of that year had withered before my work drew near to a close; and now every day shewed me more plainly how well I had succeeded. But my enthusiasm was checked by my anxiety, and I appeared rather like one doomed by slavery to toil in the mines, or any other unwholesome trade, than an artist occupied by his favourite employment. Every night I was oppressed by a slow fever, and I became nervous to a most painful degree; a disease that I regretted the more because I had hitherto enjoyed most excellent health, and had always boasted of the firmness of my nerves. But I believed that exercise and amusement would soon drive away such symptoms; and I promised myself both of these, when my creation should be complete.	“The mysteries of Creation”   -Nature as a representation for the mental and physical health of Victor.   -The inception of Victors obsession with his creation.   -Compliment to one another   -Melancholy and anxiety   Words like : Disease nerve, creation   Occupation: There are multiple ways in which Shelly uses the word occupation.   The image of the natural environment is constantly brought up as both detriment and as positive outlook   –        Continues with conflict of Man vs. Nature Man vs. Man The catalyst that leads to the tragic downfall – this is the start of Victor’s obsession.   The passage of time is repeated here – showing a possible growth.   Prose   Health vs. illness – reoccurring   We find a sympathy for the main character, Victor. We feel the pain he feels and wish for him to wake up and realize that what is true to him is right in front of his eyes.   Victor is still recalling his history to Robet Walton at this time. (Unreliable 1st person narration)

 

Tuesday, May 17th

Reading guide 14 Day Plan V2

Because of a lack of structure yesterday, I have updated the plan for our class. This will be the plan through June 1st. During that time, I will help you through the second literary analysis paper we will complete together.

I will go over two things today:

1. Close reading.
2. text reading expectations.

We will read over the first part of Victor’s story. I will choose a passage and show you how to do a close reading. The next few are partially guided and the last few are completely independent.

Monday, May 16th

Walton Meets Frankenstein: Letters (Intro)

HERE IS THE TEXT:

Shelley-1818 Frankenstein

Questions for discussion:

1. Is Walton a reliable narrator? Why or why not?
2. Is Walton’s goal to “confer on all mankind . . . a passage near the pole” noble or overly ambitious?
3. How does Robert’s desire for a friend affect his relationship with Dr. Frankenstein? How might this relationship affect the reader’s trust in Walton as a reliable narrator?
4. How is this section related to your theme? Explain.

Now, after we’re done with that, let’s immediately move on to the actual text:

Day 2:

Victor’s Early Life: Chapter 1-2

Pg. 16-31 (In print out text and PDF)

Questions:

1. How does Victor’s statement that “the world was to me a secret which I desired to divine” serve as characterization?
2. How do Henry and Victor differ? Why might Shelley be setting them up as character foils?
3. What is Shelley’s intent when she has Victor characterize Elizabeth as “the saintly soul (who) shone like a shrine-dedicated lamp in our peaceful home?” What role does this characterization set for Elizabeth?
4. Is Victor’s fascination with the Philosopher’s Stone an admirable one?

Friday, May 13th

We still have two more papers to talk about. We will do that right away.

After that, I can give you some time to work on the annotated bibliography. This assignment will be extended to Monday.

I have a little pre-reading exercise for us to complete together as a class.

There’s also a cool poem that Shelley based her ideas on – we won’t have time today, but you can look at it on your own time and for your own research into the novel’s context:

The Rime of the Ancient Mariner with guides

So We will be reading this today:

prometheus myth

Day 1:

Walton Meets Frankenstein: Letters

HERE IS THE TEXT:

Shelley-1818 Frankenstein

Questions for discussion:

1. Is Walton a reliable narrator? Why or why not?
2. Is Walton’s goal to “confer on all mankind . . . a passage near the pole” noble or overly ambitious?
3. How does Robert’s desire for a friend affect his relationship with Dr. Frankenstein? How might this relationship affect the reader’s trust in Walton as a reliable narrator?
4. How is this section related to your theme? Explain.

Reading guide 14 Day Plan V2

READ the letters FOR MONDAY – answer the questions above.

Here’s something for the corner cutters, busy after school workers, or the students that step above after reading:

frankenstein-litchart

Thursday, May 12th

Today I was thinking since you have spent so much time with the papers lately, I will be working on helping you with the points.

While choosing an article (from the ones given) read the abstract.  I’ll put you in groups so that you can go through the piece together. four groups in total.

The papers:

Adams 2001 Making Daemons of Death and Love

Jager (2014) Mary Shelley s Frankenstein and the Fate of Modern Scientific Psychology

Brockman Freud, Frankenstein, art of loss

Britton (2015) What made Monster Monstrous

So, to sum up – TODAY:

1. You are assigned a paper with your group.
2. Read the paper with the group. (Go somewhere in the school)
3. Answer the following questions (annotated bibliography) with your group.
4. Present your findings to the class.

Remember the rules of annotated bibliography:

Part 1 (Summary)

1.The main idea of this article is…….

2.The topics covered in this article are…….

3.The author’s point of view in this article is……

Part 2 (Rhetoric) YOU KNOW THIS NOW!

1.The author of this piece is/is not credible because……

2.The author knows a lot about this topic because….

3.From this piece, the author wants you to………….

Part 3 (Reflection)

1.This article supports my ideas because…..

2.This article was helpful to me because….

3.This article added to my knowledge about this topic because….

I would like to start Frankenstein tomorrow. The first reading we will do together.

HERE IS THE TEXT:

Shelley-1818 Frankenstein

I have a schedule breakdown on the readings – with them are comprehension questions. I’ll explain more tomorrow:

Reading guide 14 Day Plan V2

Tuesday, May 10th

HERE IS THE TEXT:

Shelley-1818 Frankenstein

“the companions of our childhood always possess a certain power over our minds which hardly any later friend can obtain.”
― Mary Shelley, Frankenstein

I will give you a brief overview of a psychoanalytical theoretical perspective:

Psychoanalytic_Criticism

I have underlined words in this document for you to familiarize yourself with:

Psychoanalytic-literary-criticism

Documents for you to choose from for your own annotated bibliography. This will help you navigate through the text. You are familiar with the style.

Adams 2001 Making Daemons of Death and Love

Jager (2014) Mary Shelley s Frankenstein and the Fate of Modern Scientific Psychology

Brockman Freud, Frankenstein, art of loss

Britton (2015) What made Monster Monstrous

Focus on one and then we can go over them tomorrow. I will make the lecture short so that you can focus on these and have time to work on them tomorrow as well.

Monday, May 9th

OK: The plan is as follows:

Monday: You have the class to work on your story. Keep in mind these particular elements of a short story:

Short Story Peer Editing Checklist

Tuesday, we will start the Frankenstein unit.

Wednesday, we will have more time to finalize the story. Thursday, the story is due at 11:59PM.

So in conclusion: Monday and Wednesday, you will have time to work in class on the short story.

Tuesday (tomorrow) we start Frankenstein.

Friday, May 6th

Connect three memories together to a common theme. Vehicles drive a narrative. This theme can act like analogy. For example Loss – Connect to three memories. Unity – Three memories etc. They can all be linear or sporadic. 

Thirty minutes to finish this prompt. This is the last prompt. On Monday and Tuesday, you’re on your own. I’m tempted to just start the new unit while you’re doing this so I don’t have to see people off task. Let’s talk today about it.

Tonight, the rough draft (progress) piece is due – try and give me something of worth to look at and give pointers on. I’m not looking at grammar or anything – only content.

The final point to this unit, before you have time to work on this yourself, is how Murakami came up with this project – this style – himself and the things that led him to where he is now as an internationally bestselling author.

Here is the piece from the New Yorker:

The Running Novelist

I’ll read it to you. Let’s talk about it after. Since this is narrative non- fiction, the questions will be general.

1. Talk about the notion of Risk vs. Reward
2. What is an epiphany moment? Have you had any? Explain.
3. What other analogies can you think about when it comes to writing?

Thursday, May 5th

Research a mundane object and find a deeper analogy to life through it. – This exercise works better if it’s something you’re familiar with. Ex: Lego, Curling, Matchbox Cars, The time streetlights come on etc.

You have 30 minutes to finish this prompt.

Some students have come up to me and asked to start their first draft. I say okay. I will keep giving you prompts through Friday. I have opened up a teams file in order for you to show me your progress.

Progress update – turn in what you have so far by Friday, May 6th

This is a story that got me into Murakami in the first place. It’s short, but powerful. We will talk about this in the second half of class.

Murakami, “On Seeing the 100% Perfect Girl One Beautiful April Morning”

1. What is your opinion of the story? What is its meaning?
2. If the author had told his story to the girl, what do you think would have happened?
3. What would you have done in his situation?
4. The author talks about his tastes in women. Do you think beauty is subjective or objective?
5. Is the author in truly in love with the girl or just infatuated?
6. Does the author believe in the idea of a 100% perfect partner for him? Do you for yourself? Can you measure love by a percentage?
7. Do you believe in fate?

Write down two questions related to the article you’d like to answer your classmates next class.

1.

2.

Discuss the meanings of these phrases with a partner.

• Potentiality knocks on the door of my heart.

 

• The cold, indifferent waves of fate proceeded to toss them unmercifully.

Wednesday, May 4th

Talk to a partner about a childhood memory of theirs. Now make it yours in a story.

This was your homework last night. I will give you thirty minutes at the beginning of the class to work on this story. Since we have finished the novel, I would like to read you another Murakami short story I have used in another unit.

It is called “The Second Bakery Attack”.

The Second Bakery Attack

The first bakery attack was never published in English, but there was a short film made about the story in Japan. It is here (Very 70’s art film vibe):

If we have time left, we can watch it.

Tuesday, May 3rd

I will post a teams folder for you to turn in your questions. You can hand them in tonight Due Tonight, May 3rd at 11:59PM

After we get through the rest of the discussion questions, it is time to write.

It’s hard to really give you a structure to how the formation of a short story should be written. So I have  interesting piece for you to read:

Raymond Carver:

viewfinderbyraymondcarver

Prompts to help you with a free write that we will use throughout the week:

Connect three memories together to a common theme. Vehicles drive a narrative. This theme can act like analogy. For example Loss – Connect to three memories. Unity – Three memories etc. They can all be linear or sporadic. 

Describe a regret / mistake and then change the reality to the ideal

Research a mundane object and find a deeper analogy to life through it. – This exercise works better if it’s something you’re familiar with. Ex: Lego, Curling, Matchbox Cars, The time streetlights come on etc.

A mistake you tried to cover up, yet were unsuccessful. A moment of shame.

Explain the same memory from three different perspectives.

Talk to a partner about a childhood memory of theirs. Now make it yours in a story.

Write about how someone has influenced your life in the most subtle of ways.

A mistake you tried to cover up, yet were unsuccessful. A moment of shame.

November 13th, 2019

What did you write for this prompt?

Write about a first anything.

someone has influenced your life in the most subtle of ways.

Monday, May 2nd

We will re-read the end of the novel.

Discussion on these questions for Hear the Wind Sing:

1. Hear the Wind Sing opens with thoughts about the writing process and its relation to general satisfaction with life. Why do you think the protagonist evokes fictitious Derek Hartfield’s experiences? How does Hartfield’s status as a “fighter…a man who used words as weapons” echo throughout the novel?
2. How would you characterize the Rat? How does his personality shift or change between the two novels? What does the Rat value most in life?
3. Discuss the relationship between the protagonist and the Rat. What common traits do they share? How do they complement each other?
4. Few characters in Wind are acknowledged by their given names, and are instead referred to by general identifiers: “the girl,” “the twins,” “the Rat.” Why do you think Murakami made this stylistic decision? What effect does it have on the reader? What does this choice assert about identity?
5. In Hear the Wind Sing, the protagonist comments that the Rat “out-and-out despised” the rich (page 9), despite being born into a wealthy family. What role do class and status play in these novels? How does Rat actively fight his upbringing and social class?
6. Hear the Wind Sing  features moments of extreme malaise from its protagonist. How do the narrator and the Rat abate their sadness? What comforts—if only temporary solutions—do they afford themselves in their despair?
7. Discuss the protagonist’s childhood and adolescence as presented in Hear the Wind Sing. What clues are you given about his personality via descriptions of his upbringing?
8. J the bartender maintains a significant presence in Wind. What is his role in the novels? How does he act as a soundboard for both the protagonist and the Rat?
9. On page 25, the protagonist comments that “for the life of me I couldn’t remember what it was like to meet a girl under normal circumstances.” Examine his relationship with women as discussed in these novels. How do his early experiences with women affect his outlook on life?

Tuesday April 26th

So today, we start off with your own assessment with some guidance from me. I have printed out exemplars so that you know where you stand with your own writing. I will go over this document:

grade-12-literacy-supporting-materials-compilation

You will assess your own (or your peer’s) work on a ‘6’ scale. The rubrics are attached to the document.

After, you can practice the online version this evening so that you have a general idea of the online format. We can look at it in class if you really need to.

https://bced.vretta.com/#/en/bced-landing/grad/sample/literacy12

2nd half of class:

Work on these questions for Hear the Wind Sing: (Repost) Due next Monday May 2nd at 11:59PM

1. Hear the Wind Sing opens with thoughts about the writing process and its relation to general satisfaction with life. Why do you think the protagonist evokes fictitious Derek Hartfield’s experiences? How does Hartfield’s status as a “fighter…a man who used words as weapons” echo throughout the novel?
2. How would you characterize the Rat? How does his personality shift or change between the two novels? What does the Rat value most in life?
3. Discuss the relationship between the protagonist and the Rat. What common traits do they share? How do they complement each other?
4. Few characters in Wind are acknowledged by their given names, and are instead referred to by general identifiers: “the girl,” “the twins,” “the Rat.” Why do you think Murakami made this stylistic decision? What effect does it have on the reader? What does this choice assert about identity?
5. In Hear the Wind Sing, the protagonist comments that the Rat “out-and-out despised” the rich (page 9), despite being born into a wealthy family. What role do class and status play in these novels? How does Rat actively fight his upbringing and social class?
6. Hear the Wind Sing  features moments of extreme malaise from its protagonist. How do the narrator and the Rat abate their sadness? What comforts—if only temporary solutions—do they afford themselves in their despair?
7. Discuss the protagonist’s childhood and adolescence as presented in Hear the Wind Sing. What clues are you given about his personality via descriptions of his upbringing?
8. J the bartender maintains a significant presence in Wind. What is his role in the novels? How does he act as a soundboard for both the protagonist and the Rat?
9. On page 25, the protagonist comments that “for the life of me I couldn’t remember what it was like to meet a girl under normal circumstances.” Examine his relationship with women as discussed in these novels. How do his early experiences with women affect his outlook on life?

Monday, April 25th

So I’ve been thinking about this a lot. Selfishly, I have been thinking about M.E: My Enjoyment.

The literacy exam is a stress for you. I can understand. I have printed out paper copies of this exam for all of you. This is the plan for today and tomorrow:

Today:

You will write the exam. I will time you (80 mins)

Tomorrow you will finish the writing for the exam. There are three written pieces.

Then we will go over the answers.

I think that two days of constant immersion into the exam will make your minds ready for the style of exam.

Tomorrow (Tuesday) we can talk about how the exam is justified and justify the types of questions that will be given.

Thursday, April 21st

Part 1:

We will read chapter four of the toolbox. This is about informal writing and putting description into brief sentences. Pg. 128-134

Your prompt today is to complete this little three  part story.

You arrive home after walking from the restaurant. The phone rings. The person who calls you is someone you haven’t talked to in years. They have a request. You can either accept or refuse the request. The final question is – do you go out again or do you stay home and go to bed? How did the phone call make you feel?

Part 2:

Reading from chapter 16- whenever the bell rings.

Over the weekend: Read up to chapter 31. (Through chapter 30).

Part 3:

You should be on this question:

5. In Hear the Wind Sing, the protagonist comments that the Rat “out-and-out despised” the rich (page 9), despite being born into a wealthy family. What role do class and status play in these novels? How does Rat actively fight his upbringing and social class?

6. Hear the Wind Sing  features moments of extreme malaise from its protagonist. How do the narrator and the Rat abate their sadness? What comforts—if only temporary solutions—do they afford themselves in their despair?

Wednesday, April 20th

Part 1:

Today, we are continuing the structure I put in place yesterday.

We will read King’s ‘Toolbox’ today – it talks about dialogue, vocabulary, and passive vs. active voice.

After that, you will deal with this prompt. It is a continuation of yesterday’s restaurant conversation.

The character walks home. They think of a story they’ve just heard at a restaurant and make associations as they walk. Where are they walking and how is this imagery tied together with the story they just heard (or told?) 

Part 2:

We will read up until chapter 26. If we don’t do it in class, then we you will read at home.

Part 3:

Try and finish this question:

4. Few characters in Wind are acknowledged by their given names, and are instead referred to by general identifiers: “the girl,” “the twins,” “the Rat.” Why do you think Murakami made this stylistic decision? What effect does it have on the reader? What does this choice assert about identity?

Tuesday, April 19th

Hope you had a great long weekend. I mean… I did.

So this class, to avoid boredom will be cut into three parts today, tomorrow and Thursday (9 parts total)

First part: Toolbox (Stephen King)

Second Part 3 Questions (HTWS)

Third part: Reading of text  – and homework reading for discussion

Today:

Handing out of Stephen Kings Writing Toolbox and brief discussion. Here is the PDF:

Lamott & King

Quick writing assignment:

metafiction

unreliable narration

self-reflexivity

intertextuality, 

thematizes both historical and political issues.

Quick Write:

So – You’re writing two people sitting down at a restaurant. They are having a conversation about something you (the author) feel passionate about. Minimal description of restaurant – maximum dialogue.

PART 2:

Answer these questions on a separate document:

1. Hear the Wind Sing opens with thoughts about the writing process and its relation to general satisfaction with life. Why do you think the protagonist evokes fictitious Derek Hartfield’s experiences? How does Hartfield’s status as a “fighter…a man who used words as weapons” echo throughout the novel?
2. How would you characterize the Rat? How does his personality shift or change? What does the Rat value most in life?
3. Discuss the relationship between the protagonist and the Rat. What common traits do they share? How do they complement each other?

PART 3:

Let’s read up to chapter 15. What we don’t finish in class, finish at home.

Thursday, April 14th

Murakami, Fuminobu. “Murakami Haruki’s Postmodern World.” Postmodern, Feminist and Postcolonial Currents in Contemporary Japanese Culture, 2006, pp. 31–68., https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203004111-7.

I will give you 15-30 minutes to start working on your annotated bibliography. This all depends on how you work as a class.

Let’s start the book today.

While we’re going through the text, I would like you to always actively be engaged with the literary theory we’re studying. How is this Postmodern? What can I do in my own story to reflect this concept?

We will stop and start as the story progresses and talk about the basic characterization / choices of the narrator. We will talk about the sparse dialogue / descriptions.

Keep in mind the questions I have for you:

1. Hear the Wind Sing opens with thoughts about the writing process and its relation to general satisfaction with life. Why do you think the protagonist evokes fictitious Derek Hartfield’s experiences? How does Hartfield’s status as a “fighter…a man who used words as weapons” echo throughout the novel?
2. How would you characterize the Rat? How does his personality shift or change between the two novels? What does the Rat value most in life?
3. Discuss the relationship between the protagonist and the Rat. What common traits do they share? How do they complement each other?
4. Few characters in Wind are acknowledged by their given names, and are instead referred to by general identifiers: “the girl,” “the twins,” “the Rat.” Why do you think Murakami made this stylistic decision? What effect does it have on the reader? What does this choice assert about identity?
5. In Hear the Wind Sing, the protagonist comments that the Rat “out-and-out despised” the rich (page 9), despite being born into a wealthy family. What role do class and status play in these novels? How does Rat actively fight his upbringing and social class?
6. Hear the Wind Sing  features moments of extreme malaise from its protagonist. How do the narrator and the Rat abate their sadness? What comforts—if only temporary solutions—do they afford themselves in their despair?
7. Discuss the protagonist’s childhood and adolescence as presented in Hear the Wind Sing. What clues are you given about his personality via descriptions of his upbringing?
8. J the bartender maintains a significant presence in Wind. What is his role in the novels? How does he act as a soundboard for both the protagonist and the Rat?
9. On page 25, the protagonist comments that “for the life of me I couldn’t remember what it was like to meet a girl under normal circumstances.” Examine his relationship with women as discussed in these novels. How do his early experiences with women affect his outlook on life?

Wednesday, April 13th

This is a day for you to really delve into the text of Murakami’s Postmodern World. I will give you thirty minutes to read it, take nots for your annotated bibliography and find five quotes that you can share with the class so we can explore the meaning and have meaningful discussion.

If we have time today, I would like to read the first five or so pages to you and we can talk about how those ideas from the academic text we discovered can be found in the novel.

For each class, the discoveries will be different.

Here is the text we will be reading from now on:

Hear the Wind Sing Murakami

The following questions are what you will be completing as a minor letter grade at the end of the novel study.

1. Hear the Wind Sing opens with thoughts about the writing process and its relation to general satisfaction with life. Why do you think the protagonist evokes fictitious Derek Hartfield’s experiences? How does Hartfield’s status as a “fighter…a man who used words as weapons” echo throughout the novel?
2. How would you characterize the Rat? How does his personality shift or change between the two novels? What does the Rat value most in life?
3. Discuss the relationship between the protagonist and the Rat. What common traits do they share? How do they complement each other?
4. Few characters in Wind are acknowledged by their given names, and are instead referred to by general identifiers: “the girl,” “the twins,” “the Rat.” Why do you think Murakami made this stylistic decision? What effect does it have on the reader? What does this choice assert about identity?
5. In Hear the Wind Sing, the protagonist comments that the Rat “out-and-out despised” the rich (page 9), despite being born into a wealthy family. What role do class and status play in these novels? How does Rat actively fight his upbringing and social class?
6. Hear the Wind Sing  features moments of extreme malaise from its protagonist. How do the narrator and the Rat abate their sadness? What comforts—if only temporary solutions—do they afford themselves in their despair?
7. Discuss the protagonist’s childhood and adolescence as presented in Hear the Wind Sing. What clues are you given about his personality via descriptions of his upbringing?
8. J the bartender maintains a significant presence in Wind. What is his role in the novels? How does he act as a soundboard for both the protagonist and the Rat?
9. On page 25, the protagonist comments that “for the life of me I couldn’t remember what it was like to meet a girl under normal circumstances.” Examine his relationship with women as discussed in these novels. How do his early experiences with women affect his outlook on life?

Tuesday, April 12th

Let’s start off the class with a review. Take 10 minutes to write an answer to this question:

What are the elements of Postmodernism in today’s society? Why is this literary theory worth studying ?

Then let’s discuss your answers.

NEXT,

We read some of this as a class, and the other you complete independently so that your

Murakami’s Postmodern World

Remember how to do an annotated bibliography?

Part 1 (Summary)

1.The main idea of this article is…….

2.The topics covered in this article are…….

3.The author’s point of view in this article is……

Part 2 (Rhetoric)

1.The author of this piece is/is not credible because……

2.The author knows a lot about this topic because….

3.From this piece, the author wants you to………….

Part 3 (Reflection)

1.This article supports my ideas because…..

2.This article was helpful to me because….

3.This article added to my knowledge about this topic because….

Monday, April 11th

I love new units: Postmodernism and the fragmentation of  fictional narrative.

We are all Post/modern – but what the hell does this mean?

Here is the overview of the unit:

Pinball Introduction

Then here is the PPT – there are two – one as a theoretical piece and the other as a kind of ‘questionnaire’.

I will go over this:

PostModernism

Now we will discuss this:

Quiz Are you post Modern

And tomorrow we will read this and do an annotated bibliography of the work:

Murakami’s Postmodern World

And if we have time, I have another piece that is fascinating regarding this idea.

Murakami – Storytelling and productive distance

And we will have a discussion on this idea later on in the week.

What are the elements of Postmodernism in today’s society? What is worth writing about?

Thursday, April 7th / Friday April 8th

These are the last two days for your independent novel study. I reiterate: Work on your assignment or if you feel as though you are complete, then work in the library on something else.

I will go over the journals again today so that you have a good idea of what I want.

Wednesday, April 6th

There are three things that are due today. Please work on them for completion. If you get off task, then I will ask you to leave and work outside / in the library.

1. Aestheticism Paper – good draft
2. Proposal for your final
3. Podcast / conversation with groups

I will talk to you about midway through the class on the journals and what a successful journal should look like. If you have any questions on the journals, then let me know.

Tuesday, April 5th

Today is a two part section:

Part 1: For the first 30 – 45 minutes, you will find a quiet place to complete your podcast ‘conversations’ – the ones you planned yesterday. Get it done, minor edits for clarity, and turn it in by WEDNESDAY (11:59PM)

Podcast Groups: Per 4.

1. Jakeb, Caleb, Tashi, Ronnie
2. Best Boys
3. Austin, Evan, Reece, Elliott
4. Dorsah, Venice, Annika, Tamara
5. Lexi, Phillipe, Isabella, Alisa
6. Andre, Isaac, Nam

Podcast Groups Period 5

1. Samantha, Jeremy, Jon, Scott, Leo
2. Saba, Sarah* Sadie, Chlo – $$, Ameera, Katie
3. Linh, Jayden, Z-money, Gianluca
4. IIlya, Jonathan, Cole, Trillian, Joyce*

Part 2: We will talk a little more about the proposals and you will have the rest of the class to complete them / brainstorm your final projects for class. This proposal is due on WEDNESDAY. (11:59PM)

If you need some help with the project proposal ideas, please refer to the 11-12 Independent Reading Project document posted right below this one.

Monday, April 4th

Your independent book should be completed by today. I hope you have brought it.

This is an overview I will go over with you again. This document shapes our week this week.

11 – 12 Independent Reading Project

The first task, and I don’t mind if this goes through to tomorrow, is to create a raw podcast of sorts with others who have the same questions as you. These are the questions I would like to give you about 20 minutes by yourself to jot down answers to.  Then I will put you in ‘proximity groups’ so that you can record your conversations.

Here are the questions:

Independent book questions podcast V3

Friday, April 1st

Today, the rough draft is due at the end of class, no exceptions.

Some of you might be having trouble with the structure. There is another way to write that is more traditional for a high school setting. You can adapt this structure to the work you have done already. Use this structure only if you are having difficulty with the literary analysis style structure.

3PP Basic Structure – updated 2022

I have decided in lieu of recent events that your good draft will still be due next Wednesday by 1159PM, but I will not give time in class to do it. When you receive feedback from me, I will open up a teams file for you to submit the final paper.

We will start and finish the independent novel study starting on Monday, April 4th and ending on Friday, April 8th. Have your book completed by then.

Thursday, March 31st

I promised period 5 I’d humble myself and show my own thought processes. This is for a paper I completed in 2019. You can see the drafts that led to the final. This is what I’m trying to teach you, as I can only teach what I’ve been through myself. This is based on What We All Long For by Dionne Brand (Toronto Writer)

1. The outline: Acquisition of Place and Mental Well
2. The Draft: Place And Mental Well being V2
3. The Final: Place and Mental Well-being FINAL V3

This class is a continuation of everything we have been doing for the entire week, step by step. By now you should have finished your intro paragraph and are working on the body paragraph(s).

We will take a look at the conclusion today for a few minutes as a review.

Friday, the rough draft is due. The word count should be between 1000-1250 words for this first paper.

Take a look at this paper that a student in my block 4 class found:

When Life Imitates Art_ Aestheticism in The Importance of Being Earnest

If you have finished the rough draft, or are nearing completion, we will work with this document for peer review:

 

Exceeding	Clear and focused topic Clear and complex thesis statement – specificity Stylistically/syntactically sophisticated – demonstrating literary academic diction and tone Complex structure (smoothly flowing transitions and argumentation) Clear, focused paragraphs with convincing and elegant use of textual evidence. Grammatically correct. Correct spelling. Very insightful, critically/theoretically elevated analysis of the text/topic; goes beyond the literal
Meeting	Clear and focused topic Clear thesis statement. Structurally clear (clear topic sentences, paragraph coherence/focus, paragraphs have adequate connections to one another). Solid use of textual evidence. Grammatically correct. Correct spelling. Provides solid insight into the topic’s meaning/significance.
Emerging	Lacks a clear argument. Structurally unclear/compromised (a lack of clear topic sentences and/or unfocused paragraphs; paragraphs seem disconnected/scattered). Grammatical/spelling issues Inadequate use of textual evidence Falls into plot summary; lacks adequate insight into the text
Incomplete / Rewrite	Not completed (amount written is inadequate). Chronic grammatical/spelling issues that make the paper unreadable. Substantial structural issues that make the paper unreadable. Clear and pronounced misunderstanding of the requirements/genre of the assignment

Wednesday, March 30th

Read for a little bit.

Here is the next step in your essay. I hope that you’ve gotten some good paragraphs out of the work so far. I am not sure if you will be ahead of the game by now, but I will work with body paragraphs today in order for you to understand the way to build upon your ideas.

Here is the final part of my ‘detailed look’ series.

Purdy-Literary-Analysis-Detailed-V3 (FINAL)

This is the entire text with page numbers for your reference:

Oscar-Wilde-The-Importance-of-Being-Earnest

Tuesday, March 29th

Read for a little bit.

Here is the second part of the essay formatting I would like for you to focus on for today:

Purdy-Literary-Analysis-Detailed-Look-V2

If you still need time to work on the first paragraph, this is fine. It’s a step by step process and everyone works differently.

Remember – it’s a first draft and that draft is a work in progress.

Monday, March 28th

Welcome back! I’m feeling a little under the weather, so I will let the work speak for itself.

Read for 15 mins.

How does Wilde both honor and satirize the Aesthetic movement through his play The Importance of Being Earnest?

This is your question! Now how can you answer in a way that is academic?

To make a literary analysis essay really work, you need another academic paper to connect your ideas. Here is the first part of constructing such an essay. Do you remember the Drugeon piece?

Drugeon_Aestheticism Wilde (2016)

Here are some reflections on the piece from previous classes called “points”.

GORDON_S Literary Analysis – Aestheticism

MaccormackM_LiteraryAnalysis

Sunderji_A Aestheticism Paper

Take a look over this again. Then you’re ready for the worksheet. I’ve provided examples:

Purdy Literary Analysis Step 1.5

Here are some examples of what a final should look like:

Sunderji_A Aestheticism Paper

So today: Try on your own – figure out what the structure is, and find source material from the Drugeon piece. Then STOP. I will check it tomorrow in class with you and then you will move on to step 2.

Thursday & Friday, March 10th & 11th

On the shortened day, we will have a brief discussion of act 3.

On Friday, we will watch the movie (or a part of it) The Importance of Being Earnest. This is with a young Colin Firth.  Reese Witherspoon puts on a so/so English accent. It’s alright.

Wednesday, March 9th

So today we finish the play. This is the plan moving forward:

Act 3 is quite short. We will finish in a 30 minute window.

The rest of the class will be dedicated to the act 3 questions that we will be discussing tomorrow for the entire block which has been cut down significantly because of student teacher interviews.

CAST:

Jack: Tashi

Algernon: Ronnie

Gwendolyn: Isabella

Cecily: Andre

Lane (Merriman): Reece

Miss Prism: Lucas

Chausable: Isaac

Lady Bracknell: Phillipe

I have given you links to everything right below:

The Importance of Being Earnest Full Text PDF:

http://www.jacneed.com/ASYD/Earnest/the_importance_of_being_earnest.pdf

QUESTIONS ACT 1-3

ACT 1-3 Q Earnest  (Only do Act 3 for now – copy paste to a DOC file.)

ESSENTIAL QUESTION:

How does Wilde both honor and satirize the Aesthetic movement through his play The Importance of Being Earnest?

Tuesday, March 8th

The Importance of Being Earnest Full Text PDF:

http://www.jacneed.com/ASYD/Earnest/the_importance_of_being_earnest.pdf

DISCUSSION ACT 2 TODAY

The final question (When and if we get there) is the big one you’ll be writing about:

How does Wilde both honor and satirize the Aesthetic movement through his play The Importance of Being Earnest?

Take notes on how you will respond to this as this is your final essay question.

Monday, March 7th

The Importance of Being Earnest Full Text PDF:

http://www.jacneed.com/ASYD/Earnest/the_importance_of_being_earnest.pdf

Act 2 focus: LET’s FINISH OFF THE ACT TODAY.

1. Where do you see dualism? How does this satirize Victorian norms?  HINT: Give me a character sketch of all characters so far:

Act 2:

Algernon

Jack

Lady Bracknell

Gwendolyn

Merriman

Cecily

Miss Prism

Chausable

2. Now you know each character’s dual nature, what is each of their views on art / beauty?

Finally, you have some evidence ready to answer the big question:

How does Wilde both honor and satirize the Aesthetic movement through his play The Importance of Being Earnest?

ACT 1-3 Q Earnest  (Only do Act 2 for now – copy paste to a DOC file.)

Thursday, March 3rd

Importance of Being Earnest Full Text PDF:

http://www.jacneed.com/ASYD/Earnest/the_importance_of_being_earnest.pdf

Act 2 focus:

1. Where do you see dualism? How does this satirize Victorian norms?  HINT: Give me a character sketch of all characters so far:

Act 2:

Algernon

Jack

Lady Bracknell

Gwendolyn

Lane

Cecily

Miss Prism

Chausable

2. Now you know each character’s dual nature, what is each of their views on art / beauty?

Finally, you have some evidence ready to answer the big question:

How does Wilde both honor and satirize the Aesthetic movement through his play The Importance of Being Earnest?

Wednesday, March 2nd

This is a better link to the play online, since the play I printed only has every other page.

Importance of Being Earnest Full Text PDF:

http://www.jacneed.com/ASYD/Earnest/the_importance_of_being_earnest.pdf

So for the first half of class, you will be completing notes on the act 1 questions:

ACT 1-3 Q Earnest  (Only do Act 2 for now – copy paste to a DOC file.)

And you will be completing a self review of your work in the discussion on the second half. See the image. I also have paper copies, since this image is pretty bad.

Tuesday, March 1st

Let’s get to reading!!

Here is the play:

IOBE

PERIOD 4:

Jack (Earnest): Evan

Algernon: Austin

Lan: Reece

Gwendolen: Isabella

Lady Bracknell: Phillipe

PERIOD 5:

Jack: Illya

Algernon: Zachary

Lane: Sarah

Gwendolyn: Katie

Lady Bracknell: Cole

After the act is over, please work on these questions for discussion tomorrow – This is a DISCUSSION grade, not a written one. Be prepared.

ACT 1-3 Q Earnest  (Only do Act 1 for now – copy paste to a DOC file.)

Monday, February 28th

“The living always think that gold can make them happy”

― Oscar Wilde, The Happy Prince

Vocab handout for this Friday.

We’ll watch the rest of this

We will read this:

188_The_Happy_Prince-qlfzbg

Here’s the play again:

IOBE

What is a parody, satire or farce?

What is comedy?

Here are the parts for act 1 I need to assign:

Actors today:

Jack (Earnest) :

Algernon :

Lane :

Gwendolen :

Lady Bracknell :

Wednesday, February 23rd; Thursday, February 24th

“The truth knocks on the door and you say, “Go away, I’m looking for the truth,” and so it goes away. Puzzling.”

― Robert M. Pirsig, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry Into Values

Here is the lecture on Aestheticism.

Aesthetics PPT

Here is the text and a piece for reading text:

IOBE

It is long, but I would like your participation. We will start and stop with certain ideas. If you’d like a head start, this is a fascinating study – of course this is a bias on my part – that we will go over tomorrow with a formal way to take notes of academic papers.

Drugeon_Aestheticism Wilde (2016)

Remember annotated bibliographies? They’re back!!

When you’re ready, you can complete an annotated bibliography of the Drugeon piece or the Adler piece.

Part 1 (Summary)

1.The main idea of this article is…….

2.The topics covered in this article are…….

3.The author’s point of view in this article is……

Part 2 (Rhetoric) YOU KNOW THIS NOW!

1.The author of this piece is/is not credible because……

2.The author knows a lot about this topic because….

3.From this piece, the author wants you to………….

Part 3 (Reflection)

1.This article supports my ideas because…..

2.This article was helpful to me because….

3.This article added to my knowledge about this topic because….

Thursday February 17th & Friday February 18th

INSTRUCTIONS:

The final is due Friday by 330PM. Please finish it before the end of class on Friday. You have two days in which to complete the paper in class.

3-5 paragraphs (750-1200 words) depending on your comfortability with the structure and writing level.

Double spaced, Times New Roman, 12-point font

Turn in to Teams. The teams assignment folder will be created by Wednesday evening.

Good Luck.

Wednesday, February 16th

So, the final will be:

Steve Job’s Commencement Speech.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UF8uR6Z6KLc

Here is the transcript:

Cache_Text of Steve Jobs’ Commencement address (2005)

There is a video done by a student that has some good ideas. I know you have better ideas than them, I’m sure, but it’s related closely to what you must to for the final.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2YuXmBgxz1E

Finally, I have the outline again. This is a document you should be very familiar with by now.

How To Booklet Essay Outline Samples for each paragraph and tips (EDITABLE)

INSTRUCTIONS:

The final is due Friday by 330PM. Please finish it before the end of class on Friday. You have two days in which to complete the paper in class.

3-5 paragraphs (750-1200 words) depending on your comfortability with the structure and writing level.

Double spaced, Times New Roman, 12-point font

Turn in to Teams.

Good Luck.

Tuesday, February 15th, 2022

“Is it possible, in the final analysis, for one human being to achieve perfect understanding of another?
We can invest enormous time and energy in serious efforts to know another person, but in the end, how close can we come to that person’s essence? We convince ourselves that we know the other person well, but do we really know anything important about anyone?”

― Haruki Murakami, The Wind Up Bird Chronicle

Reading.

Today is the final day for you to turn in your Obama Paragraphs. I will give you the class to finish. Please try and do as much by yourself as you can, but then you can ask me questions if you have something specific. It’s due tonight. Minor letter grade for this assignment. I will copy and paste the rubric for the final draft so you know what you will be getting right now for the final. (Ballpark figure.)

Tomorrow is the actual final that you will be doing. We will discuss some of the rhetoric and then by the end of class on Friday, it’s time to turn it in.

Monday, February 14th, 2022

“Americans are apocalyptic by nature. The reason why is that we’ve always had so much, so we live in deadly fear that people are going to take it away from us.”

-Stephen King

Journal entry A, B, C’s

We will read for about 10 minutes. I will remind you to start your quote journals today if you have not already.

NOW:

This is the final week for the rhetorical analysis. I have already gotten everything ready for you for the final. Period 4 was unanimous and Period 5 was majority rule for the final to be a speech, and I have picked a very famous one that you will all know – or at least have heard of. The challenge will be that it is not politically driven.

Today and Tomorrow will be all about that Obama Piece. You should have an outline today. If you have an outline, then you are good to write your draft. Get your peers to help you with the conventions of critical writing – basic structural analysis. Here are some examples of  good(ish) rhetorical analysis from previous students. I don’t like to do this too much, but for this unit, it’s important that you follow a structure well:

A More Perfect Union

A More Perfect Union Revision

Barack Obama Speech Assignment

This assignment is due tomorrow at midnight.

Friday, February 11th, 2022

Here is the outline again. We will work on body paragraphs together for the Obama piece.

How To Booklet Essay Outline Samples for each paragraph and tips (EDITABLE)

For today, it is a workshop for your Obama piece. I won’t be able to help you as much because this assessment is based on following directions / word choice mostly. I will be able to guide you.

Here are some helpful links:

https://www.montclair.edu/profilepages/media/5720/user/Under_the_Bus_Postmodern_Culture.pdf

Obama’s “A More Perfect Union”

Obama Paragraph Final Rubric

Barak Obama Final

Let’s Watch the 37 Minute video. This will give you time to follow along with the transcript and use the skills you have learned so far for a full rhetorical analysis essay process.

February 10th, 2019

Work Block #1

Let’s go over about five Intro Precis examples. Then you can have the class to work on and finalize your essay outlines.

Today, you will have the class to get those essays finished. I will collect them for completion grades. This is for your own use for the final Obama paper. I will collect the finalized edits and give you your final paper that you will do over the weekend and finalize on Monday (tentative).

February 9th, 2019

Journal Entry #4

“Great minds discuss ideas. Average minds discuss events. Small minds discuss people.”

― Henry Thomas Buckle

How To Booklet Essay Outline Samples for each paragraph and tips (EDITABLE)

This will be the guide for your essay  – we will go over this in detail.

Let’s go over what you have done with MLK first. You have about 10 – 15 minutes in class to get everything sorted out. We will outline your ideas today and tomorrow using the above ‘Precis’ structure.

MLK Paragraph Rubric

If we have time, I’d like to introduce you to Aristotle’s Rhetoric – an ideal:

Rethoric_-_What_Aristotle_would_say_to_D

It’s a great read in any case.

February 7th, 2019

Journal Entry #3

“Clouds come floating into my life, no longer to carry rain or usher storm, but to add color to my sunset sky.”

― Rabindranath Tagore, Stray Birds

INDEPENDENT READING FINAL (Due in April!!)

Honors-12-SEM2-Outside-Reading

Speeches and Rhetoric

Here’s a PPT that I’d like for you to take notes on:

Pathos_Logos_Ethos

And if you (or I) still have energy after that, here’s the big one:

4KtRUtUmVjsKgsh8

We can do the first exercise:

Shoes Appeal

First, with rhetoric, there is more than just “Ethos Pathos & logos.” Authors use literary devices to persuade their audiences as well.

• Alliteration – the recurrence of initial consonant sounds – rubber baby buggy bumpers
• Allusion – a reference to an event, literary work or person – I can’t do that because I am not Superman.
• Amplification – repeats a word or expression for emphasis – Love, real love, takes time.
• Analogy – compares two different things that have some similar characteristics – He is flaky as a snowstorm.
• Anaphora – repeats a word or phrase in successive phrases – “If you prick us, do we not bleed? If you tickle us, do we not laugh?” (Merchant of Venice, Shakespeare)
• Antanagoge – places a criticism and compliment together to lessen the impact – The car is not pretty but it runs great.
• Antimetabole – repeats words or phrases in reverse order – “ask not what your country can do for you — ask what you can do for your country.” (J F Kennedy)
• Antiphrasis – uses a word with an opposite meaning – The Chihuahua was named Goliath.
• Antithesis – makes a connection between two things – “That’s one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.” (Neil Armstrong)
• Appositive – places a noun or phrase next to another noun for descriptive purposes – Mary, queen of the land, hosted the ball.
• Enumeration – makes a point with details – Renovation included a spa, tennis court, pool and lounge.
• Epanalepsis – repeats something from the beginning of a sentence at the end – My ears heard what you said but I couldn’t believe my ears.
• Epithet – using an adjective or adjective phrase to describe – mesmerizing eyes
• Epizeuxis – repeats one word for emphasis – The amusement park was fun, fun, fun.
• Hyperbole – an exaggeration – I have done this a thousand times.
• Litotes – makes an understatement by denying the opposite of a word that may have been used – The terms of the contract are not disagreeable to me.
• Metanoia – corrects or qualifies a statement – You are the most beautiful woman in this town, nay the entire world.
• Metaphor – compares two things by stating one is the other – The eyes are the windows of the soul.
• Metonymy – a metaphor where something being compared is referred to by something closely associated with it – The knights are loyal to the crown.
• Onomatopoeia – words that imitate the sound they describe – plunk, whiz, pop
• Oxymoron – a two word paradox – near miss, seriously funny
• Parallelism – uses words or phrases with a similar structure – I went to the store, parked the car and bought a pizza.
• Simile – compares one object to another – He smokes like a chimney.
• Understatement – makes an idea less important that it really is – The hurricane disrupted traffic.

Let’s read one of the greatest speeches in recent history:

dream-speech

I will print these out as well so you can write down literary devices, notes, etc.

Then we’ll be ready to form an essay.

February 3rd Assignment:

AB_ Template

Turn in tonight by midnight

February 1st, 2022 – Tuesday

Journal Entry #1

“A truth once seen by a single mind ends up by imposing itself on the totality of human consciousness.”
― Anonymous, The Arabian Nights

Write about this for about 10 minutes. This is the guide for ‘journal writing’:

Quote Journal Grade 12 V2

Welcome to class.

First, I would like you to write a paragraph in your journal (Same as quote journal) about what it is you would like out of class following these questions:

1. What are my plans for post-secondary? To what end will these plans meet?
2. What are my strengths in English Literature? Be specific.
3. What are my weaknesses in English Literature? Be specific.
4. What do you expect out of this class this semester? – This is an important question because each grade 12 class I’ve designed is tweaked for each dynamic.
5. What is my expected grade? Why?

Here is the syllabus for the class. Spend some time looking over it with a partner and pose any questions to me regarding the class. Each pair should come up with one or two questions.

Syllabus English 12 

February 2nd, 3rd, 2022 – Wednesday / Thursday

February 4th, 2022 – Friday

Journal entry #2

“Only in utter solitude can man be safe from the doings of this vile world!”

-Arabian Nights

Remember, for quotes, you should follow this ABC pattern:

A: Paraphrase

B: Application

C: Thematic connection

Listen to Nina Simone’s Take on this: