Dear Terminales,
Congrats! (Sort of, anyway...) I'm sure you are relieved to be done with your exams. I know you still have orals next week, but you must feel lighter, that's for sure. Just a few short weeks, and we shall be celebrating all of your wonderful accomplishments. Until then, I ask for your attention for just a while longer....the work we have left to do is crucial to our ending the year well, with dignity and the results you deserve.
On Monday, we will split the time between Dickinson and Hamlet. I would like to get another poem under our belts (we have done 2/8) And, I'd like to work on the Hamlet critical review sheet I gave you + passages.
For Wednesday, please read the remaining 5 Dickinson poems (I will give them to you in class) and be prepared to write about 1 in class as an rr. We'll be using that work to complete the last 3 poems.
On Thursday, more passage work on Hamlet.
For Monday the 9th of May, your 3 page essay on Hamlet is due:
Write a short essay in which you analyze a character in Hamlet in terms of how this character connects to a theme or character trait in Hamlet. How, specifically, does either this character's relationship with Hamlet or this character's traits and/or actions apply to Hamlet's preoccupations, conflict, tragic flaws, etc.
Ex: Ophelia's suicide or Ophelia's madness and its relation to Hamlet's character.
Explore by identifying the issue itself ( the way suicide was perceived, for example, or the role of madness in the play) and discuss the way these issues are a mirror of Hamlet's own preoccupations. Discuss the impact of Ophelia's suicide or madness on Hamlet.
Give specific references: quotes and events.
We'll discuss later when I see you. Take care!
Ms. George
4/11-4/15
Dear oib class,
I hope you have had a good vacation, with plenty of rest...I know this is a busy time for you!! Tomorrow I'm giving you a review sheet from Ms. Reilly; it's what she calls the nuts and bolts of studying literature, and I think you'll find it very useful. You will need to use it actively to get you going for your bb (the week of the 18th). You'll have this and another review sheet from me to help you prepare..
For the coming week, we'll be finishing Act 3, then working on Acts 4 and 5 of Hamlet on Monday and Wednesday, as well as another Dickinson poem. We'll do some quotation work on Thursday. I'm saving a little Emily Dickinson poetry and some text review for the Monday session before the exam.
Enjoy what's left!!
3/21-3/25 (otherwise known as "cultural week...")
Dear oib class,
Here's what's coming up next week! (Much of this is borrowed from Ms. Reilly...)
--Orals on Monday and Tuesday--you have the schedule. Please be sure to come ON TIME. Anybody absent must have a medical excuse and may have to travel to Trinity or Horace Mann to make it up...
More details to follow below.
We'll be taking the plunge into Act 3 this week, tackling the To Be or not to be soliloquy and beyond. More surveillance to come!
Over the break, you will need to finish reading Hamlet. We'll have a broad discussion so that you can use Hamlet on your bac blancs (the written), and we'll return to the play after your exams just to really finish up the play. Then, we'll have the 6 Dickinson poems left, and hopefully a short story by Chimamanda Adichie to end the year with a different story...
Anyways,
Here are some things to think about for your orals:
1. Be sure to study well, re-reading Heart of D and reviewing Hamlet and the poem. Remember that you are also accountable for talking about the books you have read this year and last. Would you like the list, again?
Frankenstein
Macbeth
Pride and Prejudice
Metamorphosis
As I Lay Dying
Fences
sonnets...
Bluest Eye
Poisonwood Bible
A Room of One's Own (excerpts)
Civil Disobedience
Letter from a Birmingham Jail
Medea
Streetcar
Heart of D
Achebe; "On racism..."
Adichie: "the danger of a single story" -- make sure you have read this!!
Hamlet, 2 acts
Narrow Fellow..
2. ok, as you review, do so ACTIVELY. Think about the major themes in Hamlet, H of D and Dickinson. See how you can link the works. Think, for example, about the values of each society and how the characters interact within them. See how they compare. Here's an example: nature plays a very important role in H of D and in Dickinson. In Hamlet, nature has a different connotation, however. Everything natural goes according to the Chain, with everyone acting according to their nature in the chain, to their bonds to the king, their father etc...so what's deemed natural is different in that language. Make sense? Religious beliefs are also important in Hamlet. Notions of deadly sins and what happens if one does not get proper rites (ghost in purgatory, for ex), make up their world. In H of D, religion seems a backdrop that is part of the corruption...pilgrims with their staves; then again Denmark is rotten, Denmark is a prison. Lots of correlations there. WE see Dickinson aware of the snake's connotation, perhaps, or thinking it through...anyways, think ACTIVELY as you study.
3. Finally, a little reminder about how to proceed, but don't worry: the examiner will remind you, most likely:
Introduce yourself. Say hello :) The examiner will put you at your ease...
Next, briefly situate the passage and offer to read it. Read it.
Then, go back to introducing it, making your intro clear in terms of a natural thesis: within the context of what's been going on, what is the speaker here concerned with (usually a few things, not just one) and what is his tone? If you can naturally anticipate that Hamlet, in this passage, for example, has discovered, sadly, that R and G are syping on him, is responding to their questioning of their motives with useless information, but also reveals his deep melancholy about the world and what he may once, as a humanist, have found beautiful, then you are ready to take the plunge...
Now, take the plunge. REpeat one idea at a time, from your above statments. Don't say them all and announce your plans...present them one at a time. You can say, FIRST....and then explore. Do the same for the second idea and so on. Be sure to take a good look at all of the language devices that inform th emeaning. Don't forget that poetry needs to be discussed as such. Emily Dickinson? common meter, capitalization, dashes, images, stanzas, sentences, enjambment...etc. But don't just locate these devices. If you talk of them, there has to be a reason.
Then, end the passage with a so what....tell the reader why the passage is important in terms of the work as a whole. Will something happen because of this?
Now, it's time to make links. If you're working with hamlet, offer to make a link with Hear of D. And Dickinson. Then, as you prepare, think of 2 books you think you'd like to talk about and try to get to that. Anticipate rather than wait for the examiner to come at you.
Incorporate the curriculum elegantly. If you have outside reading you'd also like to bring in, do so. It shows you read and think. But don't negelect the curriculum!
Happy studying :)
3/7-3/11
Dear Terminales,
We are moving on with Hamlet this week, with the general aim of covering Act II and building some observations about Hamlet's motivations and inner conflict.
Monday: We will discuss Scenes 1 and 2 of Act II, which you were assigned to read over the weekend. I will call on a few of you to present on your mini research topics, so make sure you look up your topic and bring some notes to class (one minute, tops, for your mini-presentation). We will also revisit Dickinson's "Narrow Fellow," which we did not finish discussing.
Your assignment will be to read Scene 3 of Act II for Wednesday.
Wednesday: Moving further into Act II. Remember to annotate your books, as I will be looking to see if you've underlined points of confusion or interest and made notes in your margins.
Thursday: Another Dickinson poem, perhaps, and we'll be moving on with Hamlet still further...
FRIDAY: APOCALYPSE NOW!!! At the end of the day, in the auditorium. Will give you the particulars on Monday.
Enjoy the rest of the weekend!
2/7-2/11
Dear oib class,
One week before vacation -- very exciting!
I should have 2 Heart of Darkness rrs from you by tomorrow, and you should have posted on the blog.
Monday: Again, the part 2 rr is due. We'll be fine-tuning our collaborative in-class close reading, which we started on Thursday of last week, then moving on to get deep into part 2.
Wed: You will need to have read part 3 of H of D by Wed., and I want to see annotations in your books. I'll be checking.
We'll be finishing up H of D this week.
On Thursday, we'll be talking about an article written by Chinua Achebe. You can read it here, if you like:
http://kirbyk.net/hod/image.
Coming up over break and beyond:
You will be responding to some questions on H of D over break, which I will give out and explain on Thursday. Also, you will be writing a practice commentary on a passage of your choice, due a full week after we get back from break. You can choose your passage right away. Reserve the passage of your choice by commenting on my blog post. If someone has taken a passage that appeals to you, you must choose a different one. They are all really interesting, and all equally difficult to analyze well, so you can't really go wrong...
See you all soon!
1/31-2/4
Dear oib class,
So we had a snow day on Thursday -- I hope you all enjoyed the day off!
That puts us a little behind, but we'll catch up soon.
Here's what's in store:
On Monday, we will fill in the rest of Part 1, concentrating on Marlow's observations of the Congolese and the Europeans in Stations 1 and 2.
On Wednesday, we will do a close reading on a passage to be determined (by moi).
You are required to read part 2 and write an rr for Thursday. We will begin discussing part 2 on Wednesday.
Note that I've included a 'checklist' on the Heart of Darkness/Poisonwood page of the blog. You should make sure you have a sense of what each symbol represents as you read through the text. This is not easy, guys -- it's a challenging book, and you have to work hard as readers to engage with it.
You were supposed to post a portion of your reader response on the blog. Please do so. Remember that it is part of your grade and can help boost your overall course moyenne if you put some extra effort into it.
Enjoy your weekend!
1/24-1/28
Dear OIB class,
This week will be a bit unusual:
On Monday, we have the Shakespeare competition! So we will meet directly in the auditorium.
For Wednesday, you must finish part 1 of Heart of Darkness and write an RR, based on the assignment options I handed out last week. Here's another piece of the assignment: please post 10 to 15 lines of your RR on the blog. I will ask that you begin commenting on each other's posts. You'll be getting a grade on both the RR and the post. I will expect you to have posted by Friday.
On Thursday, I'm going to have you work in pairs on an excerpt from the text. This is in preparation for some practice orals.
Enjoy your Sunday. Don't wait until Tuesday night to do your reading. It takes time....
1/4/11-1/7/11
Happy New Year to all! Here's what's in store this week:
Wednesday: We will spend the first part of our double period tracing Williams's use of images from the beginning to the end of the play. We'll choose a few particular images and look at how they expose deeper themes. Then, in our second period, we will revisit the definitions of madness we came up with a few weeks ago and apply them to Blanche. What are the play's final messages, when we arrive at the end?
Thursday: We will go over the DST and then move on to Conrad.
* Please give me your Streetcar synthesis questions by Friday. You may leave them with Ms. Haber or email them to me. If you choose to email, please make sure you receive a confirmation back from me.
12/13-12/17
Dear oib class,
We're on the home stretch -- vacation is coming up soon! And we have an easy week ahead...
So here's what's going on:
On Monday, we will meet in class. We are going to watch Streetcar, but we don't have the auditorium until 11:15 so we'll begin in class and then go down.
On Wednesday morning we'll continue the film, and please note that it begins at 8 a.m. If you come in later, you will miss part of it. Make an effort to come in early!
On Thursday, we will have a class period to wrap up Streetcar, though I anticipate some leftover discussion for after the break, and I will be giving you some synthesis questions to do.
And please begin blogging for the second trimester. It will be a crucial part of your participation grade...
Have a good weekend!
12/6-12/10
Hi, folks! Here's what to expect this week:
On Monday, we will use the double period to move quickly through Streetcar. We'll read key scenes and talk about secrets, conflict, and climax. Please finish reading the play for Wednesday.
On Wednesday, we will have an in-class DST!
On Thursday, we will continue with Streetcar, focusing on Blanche and the function of madness in the play.
See Hakan's very helpful scribe notes, posted on the Recaps page...
11/22-11/24 (a short week!)
Hello, all. We will finish with orals this week, and then wrap up Medea on Monday. This may continue into part of Wednesday's double class. Then, maybe we'll take a look at a movie for a change of pace! Stay tuned for vacation homework (not too bad -- I want you to enjoy Turkey Day and its aftermath.)
11/15-11/19
Dear terminales,
Good times ahead: we have orals next week! I actually think you'll enjoy them and be proud of what you can do. You'll learn a lot about close reading from practicing it out loud, and we'll be working hard on making links with other works. Remember that I'm giving you part of Monday to talk about your work over the weekend, and then we're going to start with the first few pairs/passages. Ms. Reilly reminded me of something: don't be afraid to bring in the books you make the links to, and to read passages out loud. Sometimes, seeing that book that hasn't been opened in a while will jog your memory and make you bring it back: you NEED last year's books!!
The Medea synthesis questions are due on Friday. And please don't forget the blog. Note that one more student has posted!
Enjoy your weekend, and see you Monday...
11/8-11/12
Hello, folks! Here is a preview of the week ahead:
Monday: close reading exam
On Wednesday, we have two periods to finish discussing Medea, so we have to be quick in wrap up. I'll give you Thursday to prepare your orals. Note: we'll be going over the play's language carefully with the orals, so some of what we didn't say in discussion will come out then.
The orals will take place the week of the 15th. Also due that week (on the 18th) are the synthesis questions on Medea.
I will start assessing you this week on your blog work. So be sure you're posting. As I said before, one good post is the minimum.
And your final grade is your participation. I count what I see as well as hear so make sure you are taking notes and paying attention!
Have a great weekend!
11/1-11/5
Dear class,
Good luck to those of you wrapping up your college applications this weekend! Here's what's ahead:
For Monday: please finish Medea and be prepared to talk about the play as a whole. We'll be paying attention to the terms (in the handout I gave you) associated with Greek tragedy. As you read, see if you can begin to identify some of them (for example, hamartia, hubris, peripeteia...)
Wednesday: We'll finish Woolf, looking at Chapter 2.
On Thursday, we'll continue with our discussion of Medea.
For Monday, November 8: Be prepared for an in-class rhetorical close reading on Woolf/Thoreau/MLK (you will be able to choose among some exerpts we give you)
Also coming up: Medea synthesis questions (I will hand them out today), due November 18
Orals: November 11-15, on Medea. Stay tuned for more info.
Please meet us on the blog...most of you have not posted at all and need to do so. I am making it a requirement that you post at least once before the end of this trimester. If you are unable to comment successfully, you can send me your remarks and I will post them for you. (So, no excuses!)
See you anon...
10/25-10/29
After break, we'll be jumping into some fascinating and provocative texts that concern female characters (e.g., Mary Seton -- or Beton, or whatever her name is, and Medea, who is not to be messed with...) and their struggles with power. We'll be deepening our investigation of otherness. Interesting times ahead!
Monday: We'll be recovering from break, getting back into stride. Be prepared, however, to do some in-class writing on Medea/Woolf. The main thing is to have read the texts well.
Wednesday: For today, please read to page 352 of Medea. We'll talk about Woolf and the issues facing the woman intellectual and writer. Then we'll move on to talk about the form of tragedy and some background to Medea. Remember that your essays (free topic, on Bluest Eye and/or Poisonwood) are due today.
Thursday: Medea, with a focus on the protagonist's status as female tragic hero(ine). We will review some terms from Aristotle and think about her dilemma. SO interesting, I know y'all can't wait to start talking about how the female protagonist complicates the classical model...
Note: we will do an in class close reading of non fiction the week of November 1st.
We will also be doing orals on passages in Medea the week of November 15th.
10/12-10/15
Hello! We're moving towards break and have a significant amount to get done. Lots of interesting questions about rhetoric/language strategies to delve into...
Tuesday: Follows a Monday schedule, so we have our double period from 11 to 12:35. I'll be asking you to write about both Letter from a Birmingham Jail and Thoreau's Civil Disobedience in class, so be sure you've read both texts carefully.
Wednesday: We'll have a thorough discussion of both political tracts (MLK and Thoreau) and make links back to The Bluest Eye.
Thursday: We'll get our feet wet with Woolf, perhaps, and I'll be assigning you some Medea to read over break. Remember, you'll also have your free topic essay to write, due when you get back. Take advantage of dialog and come talk about your essay on Wed. or Friday!
10/4-10/8
Hi folks,
We are getting closer to wrapping up The Bluest Eye, but we still have some scenes from Spring that we still need to cover:
--the incident with the cobbler at the Fisher house (still Pauline)AND we didn't talk about Pauline's babies...
--Cholly's childhood and his freedom
--the fallout from the rape
Be prepared to discuss these. We've done a nice job of discussing the rape and Soaphead.
We made need time on Wednesday to cover Summer and wrap up. Then we'll be moving on to some essays that will connect to the work. We'll be starting off with Martin Luther King Jr's "A Letter from a Birmingham Jail" which I'll give you to read in class on Monday. Then, we'll read Civil Disobedience by Henry David Thoreau, which inspired King, for next Monday.
Your DST rewrites are due on Thursday.
I'm going to ask you to email me your proposed essay topics on Monday.
Enjoy the weekend and visit the blog!
9/27-10/1:
Dear oib class,
Here's what's coming up!
Monday: The Winter team is up for presenting and driving the discussion. We'll talk about the relevant chapters of the book and deepen our understanding of the interconnected themes we've talked about so far: love, beauty/ugliness, the other, forms of power. Winter will allow us to focus more on the differences between the Macteers and the Breedloves.
Wednesday: Let's try to move into Spring and maybe cover that section of the book on Wednesday and Thursday. Summer will probably be our focus on the following Monday.
In the meantime, you should be:
--Working on a possible essay topic for your free topic essay. You can choose either Bluest Eye or Poisonwood Bible or both...You can focus your essay on passage work, but if you do that, remember that you must have an argument that you're hoping to work out through the selected passages. I'd like an essay topic by THURSDAY. That essay will be due the week before vacation (possible Thursday the 14th)
--Your DST rewrites are due on the 7th
--Post a comment on the blog. It can be a comment on something said in class, a passage we've skipped and you'd like to bring up for discussion...but you need to start posting this week.
Schedule a conference! I'll pass around a sign-up sheet.
Enjoy your Sunday!
9/20-9/24:
Hope you've been enjoying this lovely post-tornado weekend! Here's what's in store for us next week:
Monday: We will continue work on the seasonal structure of The Bluest Eye. Student groups will pull their ideas together, then report back to the rest of the class in the second period.
Wednesday: Summer reading assessment during our double period. I'll bring in a question for you, and you'll draw on both summer reading texts in your response. It will be a comparative essay.
Thursday: We will continue with The Bluest Eye. Homework for Monday to be determined!
9/13-9/17:
During Monday's double period, we will spend half our time continuing with The Bluest Eye. We'll recap what we talked about last week, then look again at the italicized chapter beginning, "Quiet as it's kept...," and then move on to look at the structure of the book. (Question: Why is it organized by season? Why do certain events occur in certain seasons, within Morrison's scheme for the book?)
In the second half of Monday's double, we'll do some focused preparation for the DST on Wednesday.
On Wednesday, we have the DST, which applies to the texts you read last year (summer reading not included).
Thursday: Some Bluest Eye group work, continuing with the question about seasons. Your group will be preparing to report back to the class on Monday.
That's the plan for the week!
9/7-9/10: This week we meet twice, once on Wednesday for a double period, and once on Thursday. Our main objective is to get to know one another, jog our memories of last year's texts and issues, and begin a discussion of The Bluest Eye.
Wednesday, Sept. 8: Introductions, review of course progression, preliminary discussion of The Bluest Eye.
Thursday, Sept. 9: Distribution of books, tour of blog, continuation of our discussion of The Bluest Eye. We will also talk about the concept of "the other," which will inform our reading of many of the books.
