Friday, May 30, 2008
Make-Up Work
All make-up work for the semester is due on Tuesday, June 3rd. No assignments will be accepted after this date (no excuses--if you are not on campus on the 3rd and have work to submit, you had better send it with a friend or family memeber--I will not accept any work after Tuesday, regardless of the reason).
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Extra-Credit--Socratic Seminar
There are only a couple of weeks left of school and many of you could use some extra points before grades are submitted. As such, I am offering extra-credit to any individual who would be willing to plan and execute a socratic seminar for the class. If you are interested, you must come up with an article on a topic that would be appropriate to discuss in class (newspaper article, poem, excerpt from a story, lyrics, etc.) and develop at least five questions with which to engage the participants in the seminar. You must bring this sheet to me so that I may review it and give you the o.k. to present it to the class and execute the discussion. You must submit this information to me at least one day in advance of the discussion (preferably two). You will then be required to make copies of the article and questions for each student in the class and to lead the discussion on the date agreed upon. Please see me if you have any questions or concerns.
Monday, May 19, 2008
Homework for the Week of May 19th through May 23rd
Due Tuesday, May 20th:
--Pro/Con Chart for topic of your persuasive essay
Due Wednesday, May 21st:
--Summary of Research findings for your persuasive essay topic (be sure to cite sources)
Due Thursday, May 22nd:
--Write a thesis statement for your persuasive essay
Due Friday, May 23rd:
--Complete an outline for your persuasive essay
*Note: The final draft of the persuasive essay will be due on Wednesday, May 28th. Please see me if you have any questions or concerns.
--Pro/Con Chart for topic of your persuasive essay
Due Wednesday, May 21st:
--Summary of Research findings for your persuasive essay topic (be sure to cite sources)
Due Thursday, May 22nd:
--Write a thesis statement for your persuasive essay
Due Friday, May 23rd:
--Complete an outline for your persuasive essay
*Note: The final draft of the persuasive essay will be due on Wednesday, May 28th. Please see me if you have any questions or concerns.
Extra Credit--Reading/Essay/Project
The following is an assignment that is not required of students to complete, but that students may do in order to receive extra credit. I recommend that you do it, especially if you have a low percentage in the class.
Step 1: Read one of the following stories:
1. The Waters of Babylon (textbook)
2. The Marginal World (textbook)
3. Morte d'Arthur (textbook)
4. Ghosts (by Henrik Ibsen--not in textbook)
5. Adonais (by Percy Byshee Shelley--not in textbook)
Step 2: Choose either to write an essay (step 2A) on the story or to do a project (step 2B) on the story.
Step 2A (Essay): After reading one of the stories, write an essay (minimum of 5 paragraphs) on the topic of your choosing. Be sure to clear the topic with Mr. Hall before writing it. If you cannot think of a good topic to write on, ask Mr. Hall for recommended essay prompts.
Step 2B (Project): After reading one of the stories, complete a "report ball" on the information from the reading. Please see Mr. Hall with specific questions, especially with construction of the ball. The report ball has 12 sides. The necessary information that should appear on each side is as follows:
1. Title
2. Author
3. Settings
4. Summary of what happened in the beginning of the story
5. Summary of what happened in the middle of the story
6. Summary of what happened in the end of the story
7. Favorite part of the story and why
8. Favorite character in the story and why
9. Main characters of the story along with descriptions and importance to the plot
10. Recommendation (would you recommend this story for others to read. Explain why or why not)
11. Picture/Drawing of a theme or event from the story
12. Your Name
*This assignment is due on Friday, May 30th
Step 1: Read one of the following stories:
1. The Waters of Babylon (textbook)
2. The Marginal World (textbook)
3. Morte d'Arthur (textbook)
4. Ghosts (by Henrik Ibsen--not in textbook)
5. Adonais (by Percy Byshee Shelley--not in textbook)
Step 2: Choose either to write an essay (step 2A) on the story or to do a project (step 2B) on the story.
Step 2A (Essay): After reading one of the stories, write an essay (minimum of 5 paragraphs) on the topic of your choosing. Be sure to clear the topic with Mr. Hall before writing it. If you cannot think of a good topic to write on, ask Mr. Hall for recommended essay prompts.
Step 2B (Project): After reading one of the stories, complete a "report ball" on the information from the reading. Please see Mr. Hall with specific questions, especially with construction of the ball. The report ball has 12 sides. The necessary information that should appear on each side is as follows:
1. Title
2. Author
3. Settings
4. Summary of what happened in the beginning of the story
5. Summary of what happened in the middle of the story
6. Summary of what happened in the end of the story
7. Favorite part of the story and why
8. Favorite character in the story and why
9. Main characters of the story along with descriptions and importance to the plot
10. Recommendation (would you recommend this story for others to read. Explain why or why not)
11. Picture/Drawing of a theme or event from the story
12. Your Name
*This assignment is due on Friday, May 30th
Extra Credit--May 17th
Extra Credit due Tuesday, May 20th:
If you can figure out the significance of May 17th (what happened that would cause a people to celebrate this day) and write a summary on what you have found, I will give you extra credit for completing the challenge. Hint: it is a historical event from outside of the United States--think of a culture that I would be celebrating.
*Be sure to include as much information as possible, including the historical events that led up to it as well as the cultural events by which it is now celebrated.
If you can figure out the significance of May 17th (what happened that would cause a people to celebrate this day) and write a summary on what you have found, I will give you extra credit for completing the challenge. Hint: it is a historical event from outside of the United States--think of a culture that I would be celebrating.
*Be sure to include as much information as possible, including the historical events that led up to it as well as the cultural events by which it is now celebrated.
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Poetry Exam
The Poetry Exam will have three basic parts to it. The first part will be matching literary terms to their definitions (this is the purpose for the flash cards you made and have been studying from both in and out of class for the past few weeks). The second part is multiple choice for identifying the type of literary device that is being used in a specific passage from a poem (this is the purpose of the notes that you have taken in class with examples of how the different literary terms actually work). The third section is short answer based upon a poem that will appear on the test. You will have to read the poem and answer the questions to the best of your knowledge and ability (this is the purpose of our reading and discussing poems throughout the unit).
In the following you will find some examples of questions for all three sections of the exam:
Alliteration:
Definition: Alliteration is the repetition of initial consonant sounds. Writers use alliteration to give emphasis to words, to imitate sounds, and to create musical effect.
Example (The Weary Blues, p. 268):
“Droning a drowsy syncopated tune. . .”
Figurative Language
Defintion: Figurative language is writing or speech not meant to be interpreted literally. Figurative language is often used to create vivid impressions by setting up comparisons between dissimilar things.
Example (Right Hand, p. 954):
“Grandfather carried his voice in the seamed / Palm of his right hand. . .’
*Grandfather did not literally carry his voice--this is a figurative expression.
Imagery
Definition: Imagery is the descriptive or figurative language used in literature to create word pictures for readers. These pictures, or images, are created by details of sight, sound, taste, touch, smell, and movement.
Example (Jade Flower Palace, 970):
“There are / Green ghost fires in black rooms.”
Metaphor
Definition: A metaphor is a figure of speech in which one thing is spoken of as though it were something else. Unlike a simile, which compares two things using like or as, a metaphor implies a comparison between them.
Example (Metaphor, p. 953)
“Morning is / A new sheet of paper / For you to write on.”
Meter
Definition: The meter of a poem is its rhythmical pattern. This pattern is determined by the number and types of stresses, or beats, in each line. To describe the meter of a poem, you must scan its lines, marking the syllables.
Example (Sonnet 18, p. 990):
“Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate:
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of may,
And summer’s lease hath all too short a date:”
Shall-I-com-pare-thee-to-a-sum-mer’s-day (10 syllables)
Thou-art-more-love-ly-and-more-tem-per-ate (10 syllables)
Rough-winds-do-shake-the-dar-ling-buds-of-may (10 syllables)
And-sum-mer’s-lease-hath-all-to-short-a-date (10 syllables)
Onomatopoeia
Definition: Onomatopoeia is the use of words that imitate sounds. Whirr, thud, sizzle, and hiss are typical examples.
Example (The Weary Blues, p. 269):
“Thump, thump, thump went his foot on the floor.”
Personification
Definition: Personification is a type of figurative language in which a nonhuman subject is given human characteristics.
Example (The Weary Blues, p. 268):
“With his ebony hands on each ivory key / He made that poor piano moan with melody.”
Simile
Definition: A simile is a figure of speech in which like or as is used to make a comparison between two unlike ideas.
Example (Jazz Fantasia, p. 270):
“Cry like a racing car slipping away from a motorcycle cop.”
The following are the types of short answer questions that you will be answering concerning the poem that will appear on the exam:
What is the rhyme scheme of the poem?
What is the meter (number of syllables per line) in the poem?
What type of stanzas are used?
What is the name of this type of poem?
What literary techniques are used in this poem and what do they mean (I.e. metaphor, simile, personification, etc.,)
What is the Theme of the poem?
What is the overall meaning of the poem?
What is your personal response to the poem? Explain why you think and feel the way that you do about this poem.
In the following you will find some examples of questions for all three sections of the exam:
Alliteration:
Definition: Alliteration is the repetition of initial consonant sounds. Writers use alliteration to give emphasis to words, to imitate sounds, and to create musical effect.
Example (The Weary Blues, p. 268):
“Droning a drowsy syncopated tune. . .”
Figurative Language
Defintion: Figurative language is writing or speech not meant to be interpreted literally. Figurative language is often used to create vivid impressions by setting up comparisons between dissimilar things.
Example (Right Hand, p. 954):
“Grandfather carried his voice in the seamed / Palm of his right hand. . .’
*Grandfather did not literally carry his voice--this is a figurative expression.
Imagery
Definition: Imagery is the descriptive or figurative language used in literature to create word pictures for readers. These pictures, or images, are created by details of sight, sound, taste, touch, smell, and movement.
Example (Jade Flower Palace, 970):
“There are / Green ghost fires in black rooms.”
Metaphor
Definition: A metaphor is a figure of speech in which one thing is spoken of as though it were something else. Unlike a simile, which compares two things using like or as, a metaphor implies a comparison between them.
Example (Metaphor, p. 953)
“Morning is / A new sheet of paper / For you to write on.”
Meter
Definition: The meter of a poem is its rhythmical pattern. This pattern is determined by the number and types of stresses, or beats, in each line. To describe the meter of a poem, you must scan its lines, marking the syllables.
Example (Sonnet 18, p. 990):
“Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate:
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of may,
And summer’s lease hath all too short a date:”
Shall-I-com-pare-thee-to-a-sum-mer’s-day (10 syllables)
Thou-art-more-love-ly-and-more-tem-per-ate (10 syllables)
Rough-winds-do-shake-the-dar-ling-buds-of-may (10 syllables)
And-sum-mer’s-lease-hath-all-to-short-a-date (10 syllables)
Onomatopoeia
Definition: Onomatopoeia is the use of words that imitate sounds. Whirr, thud, sizzle, and hiss are typical examples.
Example (The Weary Blues, p. 269):
“Thump, thump, thump went his foot on the floor.”
Personification
Definition: Personification is a type of figurative language in which a nonhuman subject is given human characteristics.
Example (The Weary Blues, p. 268):
“With his ebony hands on each ivory key / He made that poor piano moan with melody.”
Simile
Definition: A simile is a figure of speech in which like or as is used to make a comparison between two unlike ideas.
Example (Jazz Fantasia, p. 270):
“Cry like a racing car slipping away from a motorcycle cop.”
The following are the types of short answer questions that you will be answering concerning the poem that will appear on the exam:
What is the rhyme scheme of the poem?
What is the meter (number of syllables per line) in the poem?
What type of stanzas are used?
What is the name of this type of poem?
What literary techniques are used in this poem and what do they mean (I.e. metaphor, simile, personification, etc.,)
What is the Theme of the poem?
What is the overall meaning of the poem?
What is your personal response to the poem? Explain why you think and feel the way that you do about this poem.
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Poetry Essay Example
The following is a very rough and incomplete draft on the various parts of a Response to Literature Essay based upon poetry. This is to be used as a guide to assist you in your writing.
INTRODUCTION
Most poets use a wide range of literary devices to establish meaning in their works. In Carl Sandburg’s “Jazz Fantasia” many literary devices are used to bring an image of jazz music and musicians to life. Sandburg masterfully uses literary techniques such as imagery, personification, and simile to bring both the instruments and the music itself to life in the mind of the reader.
BODY
Imagery is an important literary device that authors use to create mind pictures for the reader. Sandburg describes the playing of instruments by musicians when he states, “Sob on the long, cool winding saxophones” (2). The sobbing on the saxophone offers the reader the sound that a musician creates when playing blues music. It is sad, and affects an individual just as if they heard someone crying. This concept of bringing the work to life is also seen when he says, “ [NOTICE THAT I DID NOT FINISH THIS PARAGRAPH--THE REASON BEING THAT I DO NOT WISH TO USE UP ALL OF THE EXAMPLES IF ONE OF YOU CHOOSE TO WRITE ON THIS PARTICULAR POEM. A BODY PARAGRAPH NEEDS TWO QUOTES AND TWO EXPLANATIONS OF THE QUOTES].
CONCLUSION
As we see, Sandburg displayed his excellent skill in using imagery, personifaction, and simile in order to bring the poem to life. These uses displayed both sad and happy emotions that the musicians imparted to their listeners. Anyone who loves both music and poetry will appreciate the use of these techniques that have made the poem more than just words on paper.
INTRODUCTION
Most poets use a wide range of literary devices to establish meaning in their works. In Carl Sandburg’s “Jazz Fantasia” many literary devices are used to bring an image of jazz music and musicians to life. Sandburg masterfully uses literary techniques such as imagery, personification, and simile to bring both the instruments and the music itself to life in the mind of the reader.
BODY
Imagery is an important literary device that authors use to create mind pictures for the reader. Sandburg describes the playing of instruments by musicians when he states, “Sob on the long, cool winding saxophones” (2). The sobbing on the saxophone offers the reader the sound that a musician creates when playing blues music. It is sad, and affects an individual just as if they heard someone crying. This concept of bringing the work to life is also seen when he says, “ [NOTICE THAT I DID NOT FINISH THIS PARAGRAPH--THE REASON BEING THAT I DO NOT WISH TO USE UP ALL OF THE EXAMPLES IF ONE OF YOU CHOOSE TO WRITE ON THIS PARTICULAR POEM. A BODY PARAGRAPH NEEDS TWO QUOTES AND TWO EXPLANATIONS OF THE QUOTES].
CONCLUSION
As we see, Sandburg displayed his excellent skill in using imagery, personifaction, and simile in order to bring the poem to life. These uses displayed both sad and happy emotions that the musicians imparted to their listeners. Anyone who loves both music and poetry will appreciate the use of these techniques that have made the poem more than just words on paper.
2nd Semester Notes Check
The following is a list of notes that you should have taken during the 2nd Semester, which I will be checking on Friday, May 9th. Please be sure to check your notes and copy any that you are missing.
1. 20 Terms Every Test Taker Should Know (handout)
2. Reading Nonfiction
3. Literary Terms Examples
4. Literary Analysis (Lyric Poetry, Haiku, Sonnet, Villanelle--Rhyme Schemes and Meter)
5. Essay Writing--Response to Literature
6. Poetry Documentary (Il Postino/The Postman Movie) Notes
7. Writing Thesis Statements
8. Sensory Details Chart
9. Verse / Blank Verse / Free Verse
10. Expository Essays
11. Persuasive Essays
12. Narrative Essays
13. Nonfiction Terminology (Denotation, Connotation, Biography, Autobiography, Essay, Objective Writing, Subjective Writing, etc.).
14. Aces Approach to CAHSEE Essay (LIFE)
15. Bloom’s Taxonomy Questions
16. UCSB Writing Prompt Strategy
17. Literary Terms: Theme, Motif, Symbol, Allusion
18. TAPS Writing Prompt Strategy
19. Four Types of Sentence Construction
20. Grammar: Semicolons and Colons
21. Grammar: Active and Passive Voice
22. Grammar: Phrases (Gerunds, Appositives, Infinitives, Participles, Adjectives, etc.)
23. Grammar: Commas
24. More About Punctuation Marks (handout)
25. Verbals (handout)
26. Musical Devices
27. Test Taking Tips
1. 20 Terms Every Test Taker Should Know (handout)
2. Reading Nonfiction
3. Literary Terms Examples
4. Literary Analysis (Lyric Poetry, Haiku, Sonnet, Villanelle--Rhyme Schemes and Meter)
5. Essay Writing--Response to Literature
6. Poetry Documentary (Il Postino/The Postman Movie) Notes
7. Writing Thesis Statements
8. Sensory Details Chart
9. Verse / Blank Verse / Free Verse
10. Expository Essays
11. Persuasive Essays
12. Narrative Essays
13. Nonfiction Terminology (Denotation, Connotation, Biography, Autobiography, Essay, Objective Writing, Subjective Writing, etc.).
14. Aces Approach to CAHSEE Essay (LIFE)
15. Bloom’s Taxonomy Questions
16. UCSB Writing Prompt Strategy
17. Literary Terms: Theme, Motif, Symbol, Allusion
18. TAPS Writing Prompt Strategy
19. Four Types of Sentence Construction
20. Grammar: Semicolons and Colons
21. Grammar: Active and Passive Voice
22. Grammar: Phrases (Gerunds, Appositives, Infinitives, Participles, Adjectives, etc.)
23. Grammar: Commas
24. More About Punctuation Marks (handout)
25. Verbals (handout)
26. Musical Devices
27. Test Taking Tips
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Homework for May 5th-9th
1. Notes Check (Due Friday, May 9th): Be sure to copy and organize all of the notes for the second semester. I will be checking your notes during the exam.
2. Poetry Exam (On Friday, May 9th): Be sure to study for the exam.
3. Response to Literature Essay: Poetry (Due Friday, May 9th): Be sure to complete the essay. If you have questions or need help, please see me.
2. Poetry Exam (On Friday, May 9th): Be sure to study for the exam.
3. Response to Literature Essay: Poetry (Due Friday, May 9th): Be sure to complete the essay. If you have questions or need help, please see me.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
