Entries Tagged 'AP Language' ↓

First, we’ll do a some reading.  Earlier (when the snows came), we looked at V. Woolf’s “Death of a Moth.”  In class, we’ll read a more contemporary essay by the same name by Annie Dillard.

While you read, consider the following aspects of the essay:

• the minuteness of the observations
• sensory detail
• the meaning of the insect’s behavior
• writing style
• thesis statement and how it’s presented

After we read, we’ll use a little graphic organizer to compare the two essays and then (insert trumpets), we’ll add a third–Alexander Petrunkevitvch’s “The Spider and the Wasp.” We read, talk, and then add to the organizer.

Finally, we’ll talk a bit about 30 Futures and even get a little work done if possible.

HW:  Read “Women’s Brains” by Steven Jay Gould and write 200-300 words on the purpose, thesis, tone, and strategies of Gould in the essay. Also, comment on what women face in today’s society in terms of the restrictions and prejudices that confront them. Also, come to class with a rough outline of your expository essay and an idea as to what you still need to find out in your research.

You’ll note that the summer reading is simple: read 2 book-length memoirs and write a 3-pg compare/contrast paper on them.  Enjoy the summer.

If you’re interested in what I’m doing, feel free to read my summer blog: Lazyteacher.

So, I’m not there. But I am there in spirit. Not like Hamlet’s ghost (SWEEEEAAAAR! SWEEEEEAAAAAR!),but something more benign.

You’ll watch the 2nd half of Hamlet and then collect a copy of the play from the substitute. For next Tuesday, I want you to prepare for a round table discussion of the play. You’ll need to do a pretty elaborate blog post to get ready. This is an online version of the play to help you. Please grab a copy of Hamlet if you need it. Here are some of the questions I want you to consider for our discussion.

1. Why does Hamlet wait so long to kill Claudius? What are the reasons for his hesitation? How valid are they? How many times does he have the opportunity to attack Claudius? What are his reasons for not doing so?
2. Hamlet claims that his madness is feigned, an “antic disposition” which he puts on for his own purposes (I.v.172). Why would Hamlet want to feign madness? How can an appearance of insanity help him achieve his ends? Is he really sane throughout the play, or does he ever cross the line into madness? What about Ophelia’s mad scene? Is it real or feigned? Is there “method in her madness” as well, or is she entirely irrational? Why has she gone mad? (What two reasons do her songs suggest?)
3. Pay attention to the treatment of the women characters Gertrude and Ophelia. Is there any basis for the Freudian interpretation of an Oedipal attraction between Hamlet and his mother? Hamlet does seem obsessed with his mother’s sexuality. How old is Hamlet? How old do you think Gertrude is? Is Hamlet’s disgust at Gertrude’s sexuality justified? To what extent is Gertrude guilty? Was she “in on” her husband’s murder? Has Claudius confided in her since the murder? How does Hamlet’s perception of his mother affect his behavior or attitude toward Ophelia? Why does he tell Ophelia to go to a nunnery? Does Hamlet really love Ophelia? If so, why is he cruel to her?
4. Suicide is an important theme in Hamlet. Discuss how the play treats the idea of suicide morally, religiously, and aesthetically, with particular attention to Hamlet’s two important statements about suicide: the “O, that this too too solid flesh would melt” soliloquy (I.ii.129–158) and the “To be, or not to be” soliloquy (III.i.56–88). Why does Hamlet believe that, although capable of suicide, most human beings choose to live, despite the cruelty, pain, and injustice of the world?
5. Choose a soliloquy in the play to look more closely at. Paraphrase it and then connect it to the larger themes in the play.

Be ready for a round table discussion on Tuesday. Afterwards, we’ll break up into acting groups, rehearse, and try a little reader’s theater by the last week.

First, we’ll get a report from the AP test takers: how did it go? Then, my notes on the Joan d’Arc prompt.

Then, we’ll mark up the some more the museum synth essay sources.

Next, we’ll use small groups to pilot thesis statements and have the groups figure out how the sources can conversate with each other. As a full group, we’ll see what you’ve got.

Finally, I want small groups to create their own synthesis question. Here is how it will go.

• I’ll give you a theme: technology, education, crime, fashion, poverty, or feminism. Your job will be to first come up with an essay question that could be answered in more than one way and with a sufficient amount of sophistication (not Is Iron Man better than SpiderMan? but Should we require all High Schoolers to become fluent in a foreign language?).
• Next, you’ll need to collect at least 6 sources that will give information about the topic. The sources will need to be from 200-300 words each (they can be excerpts), will need to give evidence for many different sides of the Synthesis Question, and be from a variety of sources including essays, memoirs, press releases, advertisements, blog posts, interviews, blog posts, webpages, fiction/poetry, and nonfiction books. One of the sources should be an image.
• Finally, collect the whole shebang together in a Word document and then email it to me by next Tuesday.

We take the Final next week: Tue (R. Analysis and Argument essay) Thur (Multiple Choice and Synthetic Essay).

HW: Finish Group made Synth Essay…

lots of family heart-to-hearts. –back text from Shredded Oats cereal…

Image Credit: WorldPantry.com

I want to start with cereal…My favorite cereal and how my cereal box tries to convince me trust it…

Next, I want us to revisit our love of the Multiple Choice questions. We’ll do two sets and then it’s Clicker Fun! as we answer the questions.

Finally, I want us to see a sample Synthetic Essay and take some notes on how we might deal with this essay.

HW: Read Preparing for the 2007 Synthetic Question and blog a bit (100-200 words) about what you learned from the advice and where the advice seems to fall short.