Due 9/20: Poetry of Sexton and Plath; Topic Sentences

September 19, 2016 By

Tomorrow, we open with a brief discussion of This is Water! The goal of this discussion is understanding.

1. Reading–Read and annotate Her Kind by Anne Sexton and Lady Lazarus by Sylvia Plath. As we use these poems and those of Emily Dickinson to practice writing topic sentences, keep in mind that we are actually (and more importantly) laying the thematic foundation for our first unit. I remind you that this involves sensitive subjects such as depression and suicide.

2. Writing–Tonight, you will write a total of three topic sentences. The first will be a continuation of the one started in class today with a focus on one of Emily Dickinson’s poems. You should do the same for Sexton’s Her Kind and Plath’s Lady Lazarus. Keep in mind the template: topic=observation + opinion.

Remember, when choosing a point of analysis you are assigning value to that point. So, choosing to build a paragraph around Dickinson’s “loaded gun” is to suggest that that metaphor is IMPORTANT! It is critical to understanding the poem. If you have questions, email me.

3. Vocab Section–You should have your first five vocab words by the end of this week. Formatted like this:

  1. Autonomy
    The power of a country, group, etc. to govern itself; existing/acting separately from others.
    Encouraging autonomy in the classroom, Mr. Johnson’s students developed a sense of self-reliance that benefitted them later in life.
    Noun
    Source: 1984, p. 146

 

HW due 3/1: The Alchemist and More

February 29, 2016 By

1. The Alchemist–Read and annotate up to p. 79 (stop at “And I’d better read your books,” said the boy. As for annotations, keep in mind how Coelho adds layers of meaning to Santiago’s tale (i.e. He introduces The Englishman! How does this character and what he might represent add to the themes of the novel up to this point. While he may introduce a new layer, he definitely connects to points already developed.).

2. Final drafts are now due on Thursday, Mar. 3rd for 10C and Friday, Mar. 4th. Students of 10C, if you took your peer’s essay home, you should finish the editing tonight.

3. Class Forum–Post your essay on the class forum.

4. Class Vocab–Print out and bring to class!

HW due 2/10: Slaughterhouse Five and Class Vocab

February 9, 2016 By

1. Slaughterhouse Five–Be prepared to discuss the novel’s ending.
2. Class Forum–Post vocab word following proper format.
3. Final Thesis (and supporting evidence) due Thursday (Friday for 10A).

HW due 1/6: Slaughterhouse Five and More

January 5, 2016 By

1. Slaughterhouse Five–Read and annotate up to page 43 of Chapter 2. Focus your annotations on characterization of Billy and Roland (i.e. Who is Billy Pilgrim? What do we learn about his life? How does Vonnegut describe Roland? Why is he characterized this way? Etc.). Looking ahead, you will have to complete Chapter 2 and 3 for Thursday.
2. Print out the Class Vocab
3. Personal Vocab will be checked Thursday for 10C and Friday for 10A!
4. Satire/Parody Project

par·o·dy noun \ˈper-ə-dē, ˈpa-rə-\

: a piece of writing, music, etc., that imitates the style of someone or something else in an amusing way

sat·ire noun \ˈsa-ˌtī(-ə)r\

: a way of using humor to show that someone or something is foolish, weak, bad, etc. : humor that shows the weaknesses or bad qualities of a person, government, society, etc.

1. Prospectus due Monday (01/11)–Per thefreedictionary.com a prospectus is a formal summary of a proposed venture or project. So, in one TYPED (single-spaced) page detail your idea for your parody/satire. Here are the options:

A) Slaughterhouse Five/1984 parody–For this option you are creating a parody of either 1984 or Slaughterhouse Five. You are not expected to parody the entire novel, only select sections of the novel.

B) Parody—Here you have the freedom to choose any subject you would like to parody. Remember, with a parody you must mimic the form of the subject.

C) Satire/Parody Hybrid–For this option, like the 1984 film shown in class, you create a joint parody of one of the texts as well as some aspect of today’s society. (the 1984 film parodied bits of 1984 and the English classroom; someone may choose to parody a bit of Slaughterhouse Five and mix in a parody of The Family Guy…the options here are endless, sorta)

D) Satirical commentary–Here you employ satire to comment on our society–along social, political, or economic lines. The Facebook movie is an example of satire. We will review several other examples this week.

The means for communicating your parody/satire are only limited by your imagination. You could create a movie, a comic book, a magazine, a book, etc. You must have both a written and visual component.

TONIGHT: Choose an option from above and in a few sentences explain why you prefer that option. Then, brainstorm possible subjects that work with your chosen option. For instance, if you choose option B one possible subject might be college admissions interviews. Or if you choose option D one possible subject might be the college admissions process. You must come up with at least three possible subjects. Remember, this is your term final so I expect that you will put forth maximum thought and effort.

The following will be considered when assessing the satire/parody project:

1. Project’s visual impact (The visual should be aesthetically pleasing…more simply, it should look amazing). Many of you are making films! Be thoughtful/creative in how you compose each shot and how you edit the film.
2. The project should demonstrate control of satire and/or parody.
3. Project is thoughtful. Beyond the visual element, the written element should also reflect great thought on subject and form.
4. Project is well-designed/executed.
5. Project reflects exceptional effort.  This one is very important as I (and my fellow assessors) expect to see a project that “took time and effort” to complete.
6. All projects are expected to employ irony as one of the primary figurative elements to carry the project’s purpose/message. Be thoughtfully/creatively ironic!

HW due 12/2: 1984

December 1, 2015 By

1. 1984–Read and annotate Chapter IV-VI.
2. Class Forum–Class Vocab
3. Essay Rubric–Print this and be sure to have it in your binder at all times! 🙂
2. Remember, your third precis is due Monday!
3. Remember, the Art as Social Commentary project is due Dec. 14th!

 

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