Vacation Assignment

Over break you'll be expect to read one novel of your own choosing. This will be part of our author study groups that will go through March.

We'll have a timed writing essay on your novel the first class convened after break.

You can choose from any of the following authors:

Toni Morrison (available in Book Room with Alonso)
Junot Diaz
Daniel Alarcon
Octavia Butler
Sherman Alexie
F. Scott Fitzgerald
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Sylvia Plath    (novel, memoir and poems)

Or any authors that you may be interested.

But all groups must be 2-5 people. So try to find a friend that's interested in the same author you are.

The rest is silence.

Review for AP ENG LIT Semester Exam

Terms 

simile 

metaphor

overstatement

paradox

alliteration

sprung rhythm

irony 

parenthetical

Vocab

verbose

bafflement

skepticism

poignant

effusive

introspective

Works

¨Fire on the Hills¨ by Robinson Jeffers

Dr. Samuel Johnson´s ¨The Life of Milton¨

Sara Orne Jewett´s ¨The Dulham Ladies¨

Gerard Manley Hopkins ¨Spring and Fall: To a Young Child¨

Hamlet Performance in Art Terrace

This afternoon let's meet at 2:15, in costume, on the art terrace, behind Lina and Patricia's classrooms. Be sure to bring at least one script from your group in case someone forgets a line. While I can't promise what time we will finish, I believe we will be done by 4pm. 

Hamlet Performance Rubric

You will find our performance rubric here.  

Look Now

Choose one of these "Memento Mori" paintings. Compare it to Hamlet.

Hamlet Performance Postponed

To allow you extra time to rehearse, given all of our missed class, we´re going to re-schedule our play for Tuesday, December 6th.

A Victorian Rendition of Ophelia´s Suicide

painting by John Everett Millais

Task 4

Bring in your costume and props for Task 4 on Monday, December 5th. These should reflect an overall theme. 

Read Now

Go to this page. Click on "Look inside here". Read the first two pages (around three paragraphs).

Reminder: Script and Books

Please remember to bring your script and Hamlet book to class everyday this week. 

Note: you'll need it for our timed writing Hamlet exam on Thursday. 

Scrapbooks Due Thursday

Your scrapbooks with all entries will be due Thursday. Please turn them in that day, in class, under Shakespeare, next to inbox.

Thanksgiving Homework

In addition to memorizing and practicing your part, you should read while listening to this audio version of V.i of Hamlet (from 3:08:00 on (you should here music)).




Create a scrapbook entry for this scene by next class.

ARRIVAL: a one-time offer

For those interested in science fiction, or film, or just looking to improve their average (this counts as a formative assignment in which you will likely receive a 4) you can complete the following task.

1. Read Ted Chang's "Story of Your Life".

2. See "Arrival" and keep ticket stub.

3. Record a fifteen minute conversation between you and a friend about it.

You might want to discuss the role of language in the work, the work as metafiction, the use of second person and its translation to the screen, or something else literary that I haven't thought of.

4. Upload audio to your blog.

Scrapbook Entry for "To Be or Not to Be" Soliloquy

Scrapbook Entry for "To Be or Not to Be" Soliloquy should be completed in addition to last scene.

SANITY TRIAL
Hamlet v. Hamlet

"Interrogatory No. 1: To be, or not to be: that is the question: 
Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows 
of outrageous fortune or to take arms against a sea of troubles,
and by opposing end them?

Answer: Defendant objects to Interrogatory No. 1 on the ground
 that it is overly broad, unduly burdensome and not reasonably calculated 
to lead to the discovery of admissible evidence to the extent it seeks to 
answer one of life’s unanswerable metaphysical questions. Defendant 
further objects on the ground that Int. No. 1 is too vague and ambiguous
 to permit a meaningful response due to the variation in the type of slings 
and arrows, and the unknown skill with which outrageous fortune may wield such."

From here. 

Shakespeare in Translation

For those struggling with some of the writing in Hamlet. In December I thought we might debate this ourselves - after performing Shakespeare.

Check out this article for a start.

Themes for Your Scenes

Choose one of the following themes that you want to be evident in your production of a scene of Hamlet:

- state surveillance
- seeming v. being
- misogyny
- action v. words
- the inconceivability of death

Poetry Lab December 1st

We will have a poetry lab with a special guest on December 1st, 2:15pm in H301.

We'll be talking to a poet about her own poem. Poem to be announced.

Scrapbook Entry for III.i

Please complete a scrapbook entry for III.i of Hamlet.

Shakespeare Scene Performance Re-scheduled

Due to Binationals, we're going to change our date for the Shakespeare Scene.

It will now be at 2:15pm November 30th - room TBD.

Task 3 Hamlet

This will be due in class on Friday.

Various Versions of "Oh, what a rogue and peasant slave I am" soliloquy

Watch them all here.

Homework This Weekend

In addition to completing Task 3 (to be assessed next Thursday) read the essay on pages 323- 7 in your edition of Hamlet in preparation for a Socratic Seminar to be formatively graded (Tuesday).

Hamlet Task 2

Dickinson Quiz on Tuesday

We will have a quiz on Emily Dickinson's "Success is counted sweetest..." in class on Tuesday.

I suggest that you print out a copy of the poem to aid you in the annotation process. You won't be able to use your notes for the quiz, so please review "alliteration".

Hamlet Task 1 Due Friday

Please be prepared to demonstrate your completion of Hamlet Task 1. I'll ask you a question about the scene. This will be a formative assessment. 

For Students Who Went to ARTBO

For those of you who went to ARTBO, you are responsible for all of the material covered in your absence - as I only saw two of you at Opportunity Day.

How´s my driving?

In order to better the class, please give me some feedback on what you make of AP English Lit this year.

PS - I meant teaching; I can´t actually drive.

Hamlet Scrapbook

Rather than maintaining a blog during this Hamlet, we're going to go paper - and keep a Hamlet scrapbook. The scrapbooks will stay in our classroom.

For every scene we'll study you'll create a Hamlet scrapbook entry.

There are some requirements that we'll discuss first.

- cite text specifically following MLA format
- note the date and the scene and lines covered
- deal with at least one word in detail

In addition, you can choose any two of your creative strategies to deal with text. Remember: the entries should be a reflection of your understand of the scene. It should also be a creative representation of your thinking:


- focus on one word and create a visual vocabulary style entry 
- create a collage of a character
- demonstrate inference by animating/illustrating text
- comic book style illustration of dialogue
- paper circuitry
- summarize the scene in a paragraph written in different colors (color-coding)
- write a journal entry as a character in the scene (narrative)
- play what if: create a what if scenario and imagine what the consequences would be
- translate a series of lines to emojis (stickers)
- justify cutting the scene out of a production of Hamlet
- justify not cutting the scene out of a production of Hamlet
- re-write the scene as a children's story or children's illustrated book
- imagine the scene without Hamlet and think about its effects

Here is the rubric I will use to grade your scrapbooks (once every two weeks - formative). Be sure to keep your scrapbook up to date. If you miss class you must either come to Opportunity Day or study the scene on your own with the help of scenes on youtube.

Want some examples? While it's not exactly like what we're doing this is more or less the same idea only with The Great Gatsby. Ours make look a little different as they'll include work with text and more traditional written approaches in addition to the visual work. 

Another place you might go to get an idea of what a scrapbook can look like is Lynda Barry's books, in our classroom and library.



While I have a booklet for each of you, you may bring in your own, if your prefer it. Just know that the book will only be dedicated to Hamlet. Think of the book itself as a work of art - in progress!

Pun Review Video

Stop Motion Tips

New to stop motion animation? Try using these tips.

Assignment for This Weekend

Make photocopies of your scene from Hamlet. Bring them to class on Tuesday. 

Carpe Diem!

A student pointed out that they didn't know what "carpe diem" (or #yolo) on question 10 meant of our Enjambment Quiz. This student is right. As such, all scores will be raised by .5.

Only revised scores under 2 may re-take.

After further thought, I think it's best that we make these scores a "no-count grade". We'll try another quiz, hopefully more fair, in two weeks. I'll talk more about it as we get closer. 

Erasure Poems!

Please don't forget to bring in your erasure poems. 

Task 1 Hamlet

Watch the following video. Follow the Earl of Leicester's instructions carefully.

Our performance will most likely be afterschool November 22nd. Your groups and scenes are as follows:

Period 2

1.5 1-98

Victor, Giorgio

2.2.187-237

Paulina, Veronica

2.2.240-338

Luis, Annika, Claudio

5.1

Gabriela, Valentina, Greg, Gabriela, Ana, Alan, Margarita, Sebastian

Period 6

3.2.96-317

Entire class

Period 8

4.1

Andrea, Felipe

4.4

Isabel, Jonah, Luisa, Michelle, Mariana

5.2.239-449

12th graders

3.1 (90-end, after "To be or not to be" speech)
Abe, Maria Luz

Muse on Fire Activity

These actors are trying to answer the following questions:  “What place does Shakespeare have in our world today?”, and “What are the best ways to keep his stories and characters alive?¨

Try answering these questions along with the actors.  Paraphrase the various answers they find. Be sure to record the names of the interviewees. When finished, come up with your own answer to these questions.

Prep for Hamlet

For those that would like to prepare for our upcoming unit on Hamlet (King of Infinite Space) check out this video starring Benedict Cumberbatch (soon to play Doctor Strange in the next Marvel movie).

Studying for the Exam

For those that are concerned about the grammar portion of your grade, I've created some practice exercises on noredink.com that focus on comma splices, comma usage and sentence fragments. This will also help those that have selected this as their writing goal for the next quarter.

Exam on Wednesday

In class on Wednesday we'll have an exam on The Awakening. You'll be given a piece of text by Chopin and have to perform a close reading.

You'll be graded with the following rubric:

Criteria	4	3	2	1
Understanding of Chopin	Student expressed her/his/their deep understanding of the passage (linking form to content).	Student expressed a valid understanding of the passage, relating it to author’s craft sometimes.	Student expressed an understanding of the passage which lacked depth, and/or author’s craft.	Student did not express her/his understanding of the passage clearly.
Use of quotations	Student incorporated text into analysis seamlessly.	Student incorporated text into analysis using the correct format. There are no floating quotations.	Student incorporated text into argument haphazardly.	Student did not incorporate text into his/her argument.
Grammar and mechanics	Student consistently wrote in formal diction had no sentence fragments.	Student somewhat consistently wrote in formal diction had little or no sentence fragments.	Student occasionally  wrote in formal diction had little or had some sentence fragments.	Student wrote in informal diction or ceremonial diction or had many sentence fragments.

Questions for the Danger of a Single Story

1. What kind of stories did Adichie write as a child?
2. Who’s story does Adichie not hear during her childhood?
3. What does Adichie mean by “patronizing pity”?
4. Why does Adichie’s roommate think of Africa as a country?
5. Define “fleecing the health care system”?
6. Explain her historical allusions.
7. Why does Adichie say that a stereotype is incomplete?
8. What is the single story of Colombia? Are there other single stories in your life?

Bonus Content of the Week: The Snapchat Sonnet

This brilliant take on social media was written by one of your classmates. Can you write a social media sonnet?

It all ended. As soon as it started.

With a simple hello and a silly

Face. I would smile involuntarily

Since my feelings will be disregarded

Anyways. Together we’ll create ten

Million memories which will vanish in

A matter of seconds. Our bond begins

To fade in a deleted oblivion.

I thought that as a friend I truly knew

You. But now apparently the only

Fire between us is our streak. Don’t try to

Say otherwise, I know we’re both lonely.

Why should I allow this insidious

Conspiracy to destroy our friendship?

For Next Class

Continue to read and annotate The Awakening with annotations. Keep in mind: you should be finished with the novel by next Monday.

The Awakening Presentation

Your group will present on its findings in regards to Chopin´s attitudes about your topic.

This summative assignment will be due in class, Monday October 3rd. 



Here´s the rubric. 

Bonus Content of the Week: The Facebook Sonnet

See our Bonus content HERE.

Women in the Loony Bin?

I'd like you to read this very brief article about women and insane asylums in the 19th century. When finished, I'd like you to write a short blog entry making connections between this article and The Awakening. Be sure to cite text. Do so by next class. In addition meet your reading goal for next class.

Life Skills Rubric

For those unable to find the Life Skills Rubric, please check here.

For Friday

For Friday write a blog entry in which you:

- apply the theory of sphere to the novel

OR

- continue with your research group´s theme

Be sure to include visual vocabulary as well.

Long Weekend = Long Reading

Set a reading goal for this long weekend. We'll be working on your research topic presentations Friday, so the more text you have covered - the better. Still, keep the goal reasonable.If you are not in class, be sure to contact a classmate in your group to find out the reading that they decided on.

For Next Class

Set a reading goal with your group. Meet that goal by next class. Be sure to take notes.

Life Skills Sonnet

Your "Like Skills Sonnet" will be due next Wednesday, 21st.

In it you must:

- use the form of octave and sestet (and thus have fourteen lines)
- refer to the Life Skills rubric
- assess yourself in the form of verse

Wedding Bells?

In class, please read this article "51% of Women Now Living Without Spouses" in preparation for a discussion.

Poetry Reading

Read Louise Gluck's "The Wild Iris" in preparation for a fishbowl discussion (formative) on Wednesday.

Change in Hamlet Date

Unfortunately Hamlet is sold out on Sunday, so we´ll have to plan to go Sept 17, at 11am in Cine Colombia on Avenida Chile (inside the Gran Ahorrar mall).

This Weekend's Reading

Over this weekend read Chapter 9-13. While reading take careful notes in regards to your research topic and any vocabulary you find. 

The Awakening Continues

This week I'd like you to read chapters 4-8 and write a new blog entry for Thursday.

Hamlet Trip

HAMLET TRIP SUNDAY 

 Tickets cost 17.000 for preferential student admission and 22.000 for preferential adult seats.  If you would like to join the English department, we plan to purchase preferential seating to attend the September 18th performance (11am-2:30pm) at the Avenida Chile movie theater.

BRING IN YOUR MONEY NO LATER THAN THIS THURSDAY. 

What is a reading blog?

Reading to Blog

What's more important the book or our interpretations of the book? Can there be a book without there being interpretation? We'll be able to answer some of those questions after we've recorded our relationships with the books we read.

In order to preserve paper, as well as to promote our communication with the academic world outside of CNG, we'll be keeping blogs about the books we read.

You will write your own blogs, and respond to your blogs as prescribed by your weekly homework blog entry. You should not approach each blog the same way. With variety comes varied thought; therefore, I hope you focus on different topics and take different approaches in each entry.

Imagine you have been assigned "The Three Little Pigs" for homework. To write a reading blog based on this reading here are some possibilities:

-Respond to the text personally: 

I never had my house blown down by a wolf, but I have felt loss. For example, I once abandoned my favorite apartment. I left most of my furniture there, some clothes, even a television!

-Connect text to another book, a film, work of art, a comic or any other creation: 

The Three Little Pigs reminds me of The Matrix. When the Wolf "huffed and puffed and blew his house down" he acted just as Morpheus did for Reeve's character. Suddenly, Reeves was without the security he once felt.

-Ask questions to later answer:

What might the grandmother represent? Why would the Wolf want to blow down the houses? How might I write a better ending? I would then maybe answer these questions in later blogs. 

-Visual Vocabulary 

Select the words you think it was important to define in the text. Match a picture to it on your blog post. 

-Hyperlink 

You might want to use the 21^st century's answer to footnotes when you're talking about something that is not common knowledge. We'll do a demo of how to insert a hyperlink in class.

You may use any combination of these, or you can write your own type of entries. Let your reading guide your entries. We'll take a look at them next week in class and in conferences.

Take a look at this example from a student a few years ago. Here's a more satirical style and here's another more effusive style. 

Here you can find the rubric I'll be using to assess your blogs.

Reading Homework

Read the first three chapters of The Awakening and write your first reading blog. 

Diction Exercises

Cite three words that signal to you clearly the register of each of these excerpts. Just for the sake of clarity choose only one of the following: colloquial, informal, formal or ceremonial.

    1.        One can easily conclude that the concepts of faith and religion were acknowledged by humans out of the desire to fill a certain empty void they felt in their hearts and minds. In the past, religion has often served as an explanation for life and the universe, as well as morals. With the growth and evolution of science, humans generally do not deem the coarse explanations provided by religious texts as necessary. However, primarily, science cannot answer the need of moral guidance or logic in relation to human nature.

      2.            In Brooklyn days, I wanted to be Carlos Ortiz, lightweight champion

of the world from Ponce, Puerto Rico. I gazed at the radiance

of the black and white television till it spoke to me in tongues,

a boy spellbound by the grainy spirits who stalked each other in the ring.

    3.        More than monuments, that will be the legacy of 9/11 -- a legacy of firefighters who walked into fire and soldiers who signed up to serve; of workers who raised new towers, citizens who faced down fear, and children who realized the dreams of their parents. It will be said of us that we kept that faith; that we took a painful blow, and emerged stronger.

"Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning."

With a just God as our guide, let us honor those who have been lost; let us rededicate ourselves to the ideals that define our nation, and let us look to the future with hearts full of hope. May God bless the memory of those we lost, and may God Bless the United States of America.

    4.        Dunbar’s emotion is evident in the passionate plea at the end of the poem. He is longing for the leadership and voice of reason that Douglass possessed. At a time when a black American was abused on every front, the African-American community was in desperate need of a “strong arm to guide the shivering bark” (l. 12) and a “voice high-sounding o'er the storm” (l. 11). Douglass was well known for his rhetorical prowess and his ability to sway even his most stubborn adversaries with the might of his oratory.

    5.        Sir did you great my redo of the first essay?

Thomas

Leaves of Grass Questions

Read pages 21-25 of Leaves of Grass. Answer these questions in your notebook.

A.      What inspires the speaker?

B.      Who is the speaker? What clues does the writer provide?

C.      Define the word “vex”. How is it used on the bottom of page 22?

D.      Compare this to other poems we read why does this differ?

E.       Why do you think Walt Whitman is still widely read today?

What is a blog?

Daniel Alarcón on Lost City Radio

Here´s an interview, for those interested, with Daniel Alarcón about the novel we just read. You might find some interesting descriptions of his thought process.

Rhyme and Rhythm Quiz

We'll have a quiz on rhyme and rhythm in poetry next Wednesday. It will be six poems, twelve questions and it will be multiple choice. Study all of the related terms from class in preparation for it (i.e, different types of rhyme, iambs, etc.). 

Poetry Karaoke Assignment

For next Friday, September 2nd, you should have complete a poetry karaoke video. 

What is poetry karaoke?

That's when you scan a song and then find a poem of more or less the same meter and combine. Then you sync the instrumental with your poetry version.

Wanna see an example? This is Shakespeare's renown Sonnet 18 matched with Pharrell Williams's "Happy".

So take a song scan it and try to match it to a poem. You should only use this search engine to guarantee you have a renown poem. Try sticking to poems before the 20th century. That will almost guarantee that you´ll have some form of meter.

This will be a summative assignment. It will be graded according to this rubric.

Rhythm Review

Here you can review some of what was discussed in class about rhythm in language.

Rhyme Video Two

Writers Workshop Write Now

Go to noredink.com

Log in with your school gmail account.

Join our class. The code is 3xkke8cc

This Weekend

This weekend you must print out the lyrics to a song you like.

Identify the rhyme scheme and scansion.

Bring these to our next class.

Rhyme Video

Find the Lost City

We'll begin discussing Lost City Radio next class.

As such, your homework is to bring in a copy (hard copy or digital) of the Daniel Alarcón´s novel.

Our exam on the novel will be Monday August 22nd. It will be an essay prompt. 

Welcome to AP English Literature and Composition

On this blog you'll find all of our assignments as well as mini-lesson videos.

For now, you only need to complete the summer reading for next Tuesday.