All sections:
Write about a time when you were:
1. Happy
2. Sad
3. Confused
4. In love (or out of love)
5. Jealous
6. Misunderstood
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Monday, December 21, 2009
Poster Project
For this assignment, you will create a poster based on a term which will be assigned to you. You will receive a packet of information about that term, which you will read and use for the creation of your poster.
In addition to summarizing information from your packet, go online and find an image to go with your poster. If you search Google, you will probably find many.
Be prepared to give a short presentation to the class on your poster. Because each group is getting a different term, it is your job to help the class get to know your character, place or object.
Your work will be assessed based on this rubric. All group members will receive the same grade.
Criteria | Possible Points | Your Points |
The assigned term is clearly visible, and distinct on the poster. It is obvious what the poster is about. | 2 | |
There is at least one image on the poster. The image has a caption (a label that describes what it is) which connects it to the term. | 3 | |
The poster contains key information about the term, including important events connected to the term. | 4 | |
The poster contains key information about the term, including important characters and places connected to the term. | 4 | |
The poster contains key information about the term, including variations in the usage of that term (for example, different texts that tell slightly different versions of the same story—include the title of the text) | 4 | |
Presentation: Students refer to the information on the poster and communicate their points clearly to the class. All students in the group add an important comment to the presentation. | 5 | |
Total | 22 |
Friday, December 18, 2009
Essay on Visions of Humanity (due Friday, January 15, 2010)
Essay on Visions of Humanity
Due Friday, January 15, 2010
In this 5 paragraph essay, you will be using the three texts we have discussed so far in this unit. They are:
“Eldorado,” by Edgar Allan Poe
“The Conqueror Worm,” by Edgar Allan Poe
“The Parable of Man,” from The Once and Future King, by T.H. White
In this essay, you will discuss the perspective of each text regarding the meaning and purpose of human life. What does each text have to say about the quality of human life? The attitude we should have towards our own lives? Examine each text closely, focusing on the authors' perspectives on what the meaning of life might be.
As last time, you will need to turn in evidence of pre-writing, and 2 drafts.
Due on January 6: A graphic organizer to help you structure your essay (you may use something similar to the one I gave you last time, or you may devise your own. A Venn diagram may work well for this assignment as it will help you see the similarities and differences among the three texts).
Due on January 12: Your first and second drafts, with evidence of revision. Remember that your first draft does not have to be perfect. A big part of writing is re-writing. Just like you need to practice that play on the basketball court over and over again until it's perfect, so it is with writing great essays.
Due on January 15: All of your materials, including the graphic organizer, your first and second drafts, and your typed final draft, are due.
Graphic Organizer: 10 points
1st Draft with revision: 10 points
2nd Draft with revision: 10 points
Final Draft: 40 points
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Journal for the Day
All sections:
Consider our last 3 readings ("Eldorado," "The Conqueror Worm," and "The Parable of Man" from The Once and Future King). How can these texts inform your perspective on what it means to live a human life?
Consider our last 3 readings ("Eldorado," "The Conqueror Worm," and "The Parable of Man" from The Once and Future King). How can these texts inform your perspective on what it means to live a human life?
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
The Parable of Man
After reading pp. 188-194 of The Once and Future King, answer the following questions:
1. What do all animals look like before they are born?
2. What gift does God give to the embryos?
3. What reason does Man give for refraining from choosing a tool?
4. Why do you think God is "partially sorry and partially hopeful" for Man?
5. Why does the Wart say he would have liked to go to war? Do you agree with his reasons?
1. What do all animals look like before they are born?
2. What gift does God give to the embryos?
3. What reason does Man give for refraining from choosing a tool?
4. Why do you think God is "partially sorry and partially hopeful" for Man?
5. Why does the Wart say he would have liked to go to war? Do you agree with his reasons?
Today's Classwork
Work with your reading partner to practice your "Say Something" skills. Try to finish reading the "Parable of Man" in class (pp. 188-194).
Use the sheets provided to you to keep a log of your "Say Something" practice, or you may use a loose-leaf sheet of paper.
Use the sheets provided to you to keep a log of your "Say Something" practice, or you may use a loose-leaf sheet of paper.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Rules for "Say Something"
Rules for Say Something
1.With your partner, decide who will say something first.
2.When you say something, do one or more of the following:
a. make a prediction
b. ask a question
c. clarify something you had misunderstood
d. make a comment
e. make a connection
3.If you can't do one of those five things, then you need to reread.
1.With your partner, decide who will say something first.
2.When you say something, do one or more of the following:
a. make a prediction
b. ask a question
c. clarify something you had misunderstood
d. make a comment
e. make a connection
3.If you can't do one of those five things, then you need to reread.
Journal for the Day
All sections:
Do you think we are naturally good, naturally evil, or somewhere in between? Why?
Do you think we are naturally good, naturally evil, or somewhere in between? Why?
Monday, December 14, 2009
"We Think" for "Parable fo Man" reading
During class, you got an index card with a quote on it, walked around the room discussing what it might mean with other students, while also discussing the quotes they had on their own cards. You brought back to your group knowledge of these discussions and created a "We think" paragraph.
You just made some predictions about the text we are going to be reading!
Here are all the quotes that were distributed on index cards to the class:
"I can teach you two things--to dig and love your home."
"Why Man has become the master of the animals."
"How fortunate that you came!"
"It is just the think to top off an education!"
"You may alter yourself into anything you think will be useful to you in later life."
"What yo choose you will grow into and will have to stick to."
"I will stay a defenseless embryo all my life."
"He is the only one who has guessed our riddle."
"You will always remain potential in Our image."
"We are partly sorry for you, Man, but partly hopeful."
"I have sometimes doubted whether [Man] is the most blessed."
"Do you know that Homo sapiens is almost the only animal which wages war?"
"Don't you have courage in warfare, Badger, and endurance, and comrades whom you love?"
You just made some predictions about the text we are going to be reading!
Here are all the quotes that were distributed on index cards to the class:
"I can teach you two things--to dig and love your home."
"Why Man has become the master of the animals."
"How fortunate that you came!"
"It is just the think to top off an education!"
"You may alter yourself into anything you think will be useful to you in later life."
"What yo choose you will grow into and will have to stick to."
"I will stay a defenseless embryo all my life."
"He is the only one who has guessed our riddle."
"You will always remain potential in Our image."
"We are partly sorry for you, Man, but partly hopeful."
"I have sometimes doubted whether [Man] is the most blessed."
"Do you know that Homo sapiens is almost the only animal which wages war?"
"Don't you have courage in warfare, Badger, and endurance, and comrades whom you love?"
Friday, December 11, 2009
"The Conqueror Worm" by Edgar Allan Poe
“The Conqueror Worm”
by Edgar Allan Poe
Lo! 'tis a gala night
Within the lonesome latter years!
An angel throng, bewinged, bedight
In veils, and drowned in tears,
Sit in a theatre, to see
A play of hopes and fears,
While the orchestra breathes fitfully
The music of the spheres.
Mimes, in the form of God on high,
Mutter and mumble low,
And hither and thither fly-
Mere puppets they, who come and go
At bidding of vast formless things
That shift the scenery to and fro,
Flapping from out their Condor wings
Invisible Woe!
That motley drama- oh, be sure
It shall not be forgot!
With its Phantom chased for evermore,
By a crowd that seize it not,
Through a circle that ever returneth in
To the self-same spot,
And much of Madness, and more of Sin,
And Horror the soul of the plot.
But see, amid the mimic rout
A crawling shape intrude!
A blood-red thing that writhes from out
The scenic solitude!
It writhes!- it writhes!- with mortal pangs
The mimes become its food,
And seraphs sob at vermin fangs
In human gore imbued.
Out- out are the lights- out all!
And, over each quivering form,
The curtain, a funeral pall,
Comes down with the rush of a storm,
While the angels, all pallid and wan,
Uprising, unveiling, affirm
That the play is the tragedy, "Man,"
And its hero the Conqueror Worm.
Answer the following questions:
1.What is the life of man like according to the poem? Consider the lines below in your answer:
2.What analogy has the author used to describe a human life?
3.What is the Conqueror Worm?
by Edgar Allan Poe
Lo! 'tis a gala night
Within the lonesome latter years!
An angel throng, bewinged, bedight
In veils, and drowned in tears,
Sit in a theatre, to see
A play of hopes and fears,
While the orchestra breathes fitfully
The music of the spheres.
Mimes, in the form of God on high,
Mutter and mumble low,
And hither and thither fly-
Mere puppets they, who come and go
At bidding of vast formless things
That shift the scenery to and fro,
Flapping from out their Condor wings
Invisible Woe!
That motley drama- oh, be sure
It shall not be forgot!
With its Phantom chased for evermore,
By a crowd that seize it not,
Through a circle that ever returneth in
To the self-same spot,
And much of Madness, and more of Sin,
And Horror the soul of the plot.
But see, amid the mimic rout
A crawling shape intrude!
A blood-red thing that writhes from out
The scenic solitude!
It writhes!- it writhes!- with mortal pangs
The mimes become its food,
And seraphs sob at vermin fangs
In human gore imbued.
Out- out are the lights- out all!
And, over each quivering form,
The curtain, a funeral pall,
Comes down with the rush of a storm,
While the angels, all pallid and wan,
Uprising, unveiling, affirm
That the play is the tragedy, "Man,"
And its hero the Conqueror Worm.
Answer the following questions:
1.What is the life of man like according to the poem? Consider the lines below in your answer:
“With its Phantom chased for evermore By a crowd that seize it not” | |
“Through a circle that ever returneth in To the self-same spot” | |
“And much of Madness and more of Sin, And Horror the soul of the plot.” |
2.What analogy has the author used to describe a human life?
3.What is the Conqueror Worm?
Weekend Journals
All sections:
Saturday: Think about the poems "Eldorado" and "The Conqueror Worm." Do you agree with the author's view on life and what it means?
Sunday: Write a story or poem about the cold.
Saturday: Think about the poems "Eldorado" and "The Conqueror Worm." Do you agree with the author's view on life and what it means?
Sunday: Write a story or poem about the cold.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
"Eldorado" by Edgar Allan Poe
“Eldorado”
by Edgar Allan Poe
Gaily bedight,
A gallant knight,
In sunshine and in shadow,
Had journeyed long,
Singing a song,
In search of Eldorado.
But he grew old--
the knight so bold--
and o'er his heart a shadow
Fell as he found
No spot of ground
That looked like Eldorado.
And, as his strength
Failed him at length,
He met a pilgrim shadow--
'Shadow,' said he,
'Where can it be--
This land of Eldorado?'
'Over the Mountains
Of the Moon,
Down the Valley of the Shadow,
Ride, boldly ride,'
The shade replied,--
'If you seek for Eldorado!'
What do the shadows and Eldorado symbolize?
by Edgar Allan Poe
Gaily bedight,
A gallant knight,
In sunshine and in shadow,
Had journeyed long,
Singing a song,
In search of Eldorado.
But he grew old--
the knight so bold--
and o'er his heart a shadow
Fell as he found
No spot of ground
That looked like Eldorado.
And, as his strength
Failed him at length,
He met a pilgrim shadow--
'Shadow,' said he,
'Where can it be--
This land of Eldorado?'
'Over the Mountains
Of the Moon,
Down the Valley of the Shadow,
Ride, boldly ride,'
The shade replied,--
'If you seek for Eldorado!'
What do the shadows and Eldorado symbolize?
Symbol | What this might mean | Evidence from the text |
Shadows | ||
Eldorado |
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Journal for the Day
All sections:
What is the purpose of school? Do you think there is a better way to get educated?
What is the purpose of school? Do you think there is a better way to get educated?
Monday, December 7, 2009
Journal for the Day
All sections:
What is the difference between quitting and failing? Is it better to quit or fail? Why?
What is the difference between quitting and failing? Is it better to quit or fail? Why?
Friday, December 4, 2009
Alice in Wonderland Unit Review
Part I - Define the following terms (0.5 point each)
1. Pun
2. Homophone
3. Nonsense
4. Theme
5. Characterization
6. Setting
7. Victorian
Part II - Short Answer (0.5 point each)
1. What was Lewis Carroll's real name?
2. What was Lewis Carroll's real life profession?
3. Who was Carroll's character, Alice, based on?
Part III – Short Answer (0.5 point each)
Write two or three sentences about each character:
1. Mad Hatter
2. March Hare
3. Duchess
4. Queen of Hearts
5. King of Hearts
6. Caterpillar
7. White Rabbit
8. Alice's Sister
9. Dormouse
10. Mouse
Part IV – Paragraph Response (Use TEAC format – 1 point each)
1. What is the significance of Alice's fall down the Rabbit Hole? What is revealed about her character?
2. What kind of character is Alice? Support your view with details from the text.
3. How does Alice embody the Victorian child? Use the text below to inform your answer.
“On the one hand the child was the source of hope, of virtue, or emotion: along with the angelic wife, he was the repository of family values which seemed otherwise to be disappearing from an increasingly secular world.... But at the same time, and of course much less obviously, the child was a hardship, an obstacle to adult pleasure, and a reminder of one's baser self. He might be innocent, untainted by sexual knowledge, uncorrupted by the world of business, free from the agony of religious doubt; yet he was also potentially wicked and needed constant guidance and discipline.”
LuAnn Walthe ("The Victorian Invention of Childhood")
4. What impact does Alice's constant change in size have on Alice's concept of herself? What methods does she use to make sure she is still herself? Why are her choices important?
5. How does the Mouse's Tale shed light on the nature of authority in Wonderland?
6. How does the Duchess' behavior with her baby reflect Wonderland's tendency to defy Alice's expectations?
7. What kind of ruler is the Queen of Hearts? How is her authority demonstrated in Wonderland?
8. What is the significance of the unfair croquet game?
9. How does the Mock Turtle use puns to discuss education?
10. In what ways to the characters in Wonderland defy Alice's expectations?
1. Pun
2. Homophone
3. Nonsense
4. Theme
5. Characterization
6. Setting
7. Victorian
Part II - Short Answer (0.5 point each)
1. What was Lewis Carroll's real name?
2. What was Lewis Carroll's real life profession?
3. Who was Carroll's character, Alice, based on?
Part III – Short Answer (0.5 point each)
Write two or three sentences about each character:
1. Mad Hatter
2. March Hare
3. Duchess
4. Queen of Hearts
5. King of Hearts
6. Caterpillar
7. White Rabbit
8. Alice's Sister
9. Dormouse
10. Mouse
Part IV – Paragraph Response (Use TEAC format – 1 point each)
1. What is the significance of Alice's fall down the Rabbit Hole? What is revealed about her character?
2. What kind of character is Alice? Support your view with details from the text.
3. How does Alice embody the Victorian child? Use the text below to inform your answer.
“On the one hand the child was the source of hope, of virtue, or emotion: along with the angelic wife, he was the repository of family values which seemed otherwise to be disappearing from an increasingly secular world.... But at the same time, and of course much less obviously, the child was a hardship, an obstacle to adult pleasure, and a reminder of one's baser self. He might be innocent, untainted by sexual knowledge, uncorrupted by the world of business, free from the agony of religious doubt; yet he was also potentially wicked and needed constant guidance and discipline.”
LuAnn Walthe ("The Victorian Invention of Childhood")
4. What impact does Alice's constant change in size have on Alice's concept of herself? What methods does she use to make sure she is still herself? Why are her choices important?
5. How does the Mouse's Tale shed light on the nature of authority in Wonderland?
6. How does the Duchess' behavior with her baby reflect Wonderland's tendency to defy Alice's expectations?
7. What kind of ruler is the Queen of Hearts? How is her authority demonstrated in Wonderland?
8. What is the significance of the unfair croquet game?
9. How does the Mock Turtle use puns to discuss education?
10. In what ways to the characters in Wonderland defy Alice's expectations?
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Journal for the Day
All sections:
What is self-reliance? How can you benefit from becoming more self-reliant?
What is self-reliance? How can you benefit from becoming more self-reliant?
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Journal for the Day
All sections:
What does the expression "a picture is worth a thousand words" mean?
What does the expression "a picture is worth a thousand words" mean?
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