Questions on the End of The Metamorphosis

Provide evidence that Gregor is actually an insect.
Provide evidence that Gregor is still human.
In what ways might the metamorphosis be gradual?
What other changes take place during the novella?
Do any other characters go through changes?
What is the significance of the final paragraph (55)?

The Metamorphosis

Make two columns on a page in your notebook.  On the left side, write down events that happen in the book.  On the right side, write down how Gregor responds to those events and what his responses say about him.

Also, make sure you have your answers to the following questions:

1. What do we know about Gregor?  (Both before and after the metamorphosis)
2. What has happened in the plot?

Writing About Short Stories

Here is the essay topic we worked on today and yesterday:

For one of the short stories you already read, write a brief (about 350 words) response to the following prompt:
How is the story you chose an effective short story?
First, define what makes a “good” short story.
Then, explain how the story you chose meets those criteria.
Make sure you quote the text in order to support your argument.
Do not forget to mention the title and author of the story.

Creative Response to Short Stories

Come up with a creative response to one of the stories you have already read.

You might do something such as:

Write an alternate ending to the story.

Create found poems out of source text from the story.

Write a screenplay version of a scene.

Reading Habits Survey

Do you think reading is a valuable activity?  Why or why not?
What do you read (in general– for school, for work, for self-improvement, etc.)?
Do you like to read?
If you used to read regularly but stopped, when did you stop?  Why?
Do you make sure you have time to read for your own enjoyment?  Why or why not? 
If you do read for enjoyment, what do you usually read?  Books (If so, what genres?)? Online content?  Newspaper articles?
What was the last book you read that was not assigned for school?
Approximately how many books do you read in a year?
What are you reading now?

Two Short Story Exercises involving choice

1.

Select a short story from one of the books on the cart at the front of the room.
Make sure you pick a story that seems interesting.
Read it.
Take note of the title and author.
Write a brief summary of the action.
Did you like it?  Why or why not?

2.  

Select a new story.

Make a traditional plot diagram (Freytag’s pyramid) in order to make a visual representation of the story.

How does the story adhere to or differ from an “ideal” plot?  If it does not have a traditional plot, is it still a story, or is it something else?

Edgar Allen Poe: "Ligeia"

Here are the questions for "Ligeia." 

Please read the story.
Define any words you do not know. The most obscure words have footnotes, but you might need to use a dictionary for others.
What is the conflict in the story?
What is the purpose of the poem on page five? How does it connect thematically to the story as a whole?
What do you think about the mental state of the narrator? Is he reliable? Why or why not? Show through evidence.
What is the meaning of the ending of the story? In a literal sense, what is happening? Is anything symbolic happening? Use evidence from the text to support your answer.
Why does the narrator love Ligeia?
How does the narrator feel about Rowena?
George Bernard Shaw said, “The story of the Lady Ligeia is not merely one of the wonders of literature: it is unparalleled and unapproached.” Why? What makes the story so unique? What makes it great?

"The Fly"

Today we read "The Fly," by Arthur Porges. 

There are several explanations for the “fly” in this story. 
Provide two different explanations for what the fly is.  For each one, write down several (3-5) quotations from the text that support the explanation

Two short stories

We read the story "The End of Something," by Ernest Hemingway.  Here are the questions:

Express in a sentence or two what the story is about.
What is the purpose of the first paragraph?
What is Bill’s role in the story?
What does the story tell us about Nick and Marjorie’s relationship?
What questions might a reader have about the story?
 What does Hemingway leave out?

We also read "The Jockey," by Carson McCullers.
Here are those questions:

What is the setting?
What is one of the conflicts?
Why is the jockey so angry?
What is left unsaid here by the author and/or the characters?

Human Heart in Conflict CFA

Today is our outlining/pre-writing day for the Human Heart in Conflict CFA.  Please see the previous post for the essential questions. 

The Human Heart in Conflict

This marking period’s theme is about “the human heart in conflict.” Answer the following questions and use Joy Harjo’s poems to provide examples.
1)What do we mean by this metaphor, the human heart?
2) Why does a human heart feel conflict?
3) What are the various conflicts the human heart feels?
4) How is the human heart affected by conflict?
5) How is resolution of conflict dealt with?

We will write essays on the human heart in conflict next Tuesday and Wednesday.

The Dictionary and Poetry

Choose one of the shortest poems in How We Became Human.
Use oxforddictionaries.com to look up every word in the poem.  Write down the definitions, and do not forget to look at word origins.  Even something as simple as what languages the words in the poem originated from can be important.
What does this show you about the poem? 
How does this illuminate alternative meanings of the text?

Call and Response in HWBC

According to oxforddictionaries.com, “call and response” is “a form of verbal interaction between a speaker and listeners, usually at religious or public gatherings, in which each utterance by the speaker elicits a response from the audience.”

The poems on pages 146, 171, and 177, among others, contain examples of call and response.

Choose one poem.  How do you know which lines are calls and which are responses?  How does this format contribute to the meaning of the poem as a whole?  What other literary devices are integrated with the call and response format?

Find a partner and coauthor a call and response poem. 

Finding Poems by Joy Harjo

Find each of the following:
A poem about a historical figure
A poem on a current event (from the time the poem was written)
A poem about a relationship
A poem about transformation
A poem about music
Finally, write a poem on one of the topics above. 

Remember: Joy Harjo will be here 4th period!

Repetition, Repetition

Find a poem that uses some form of repetition. 
What kind(s) of repetition does Harjo use in this poem? 
How does the repetition contribute to the overall meaning of the poem?
Write your own poem that uses repetition.  You could emulate the type of repetition used in your poem or do something else.  For example, you might start each line with something like, “I remember…”
Don’t just abandon your poem with a first draft.  Shape it into something meaningful.

How We Became Human

Here are the last few exercises we did with How We Became Human.

Please remember that we have an in-school field trip on this Friday, 4th-5th period, in the auditorium.

Read some poems from the book. You can start from the beginning, use the table of contents to find titles that appeal to you, or just open to a random page and start reading. Just read.


Find two poems that share the same theme. How does each one deal with the theme? What techniques does Harjo use to express the theme? Form Tone Figurative language Other literary elements/techniques (symbolism, irony, alliteration, etc)


Find a poem you cannot understand the first time you read it. Read it again. What do you start to understand after repeated readings? Switch poems with someone. How can you help each other with the poems?


Find a relatively short poem. 
Copy the entire poem into your notebook. 
Does this help you understand the poem?  What did you notice about it as you copied it down?
Recopy the same poem, but this time, change the way it appears on the page.  If it is a prose poem, chop it into lines.  If it a free verse poem, change the places the lines end or make it into a prose poem.
What does this show you about how the poem is shaped?
Repeat this process with another poem, if you have time.

Word Trace, Part II

• Use a good online dictionary (Oxford is the best) and look up you word. Read all of the definitions. How does that enhance your understanding of the passages? Does Shakespeare make use of the different shades of meaning the word has?
• Replace your word with a closely related word. How does that change the meaning of the passages you have looked at? Look at each instance individually, and look at all of them taken as a whole.
• Are there literary devices/techniques/elements associated with the word? Is the word associated with a particular symbol or motif?

Macbeth Word Trace

This is what we will work on in class today and Friday.

Choose a word: good, blood/bloody, time, say, fear, hand(s), great, see, sleep, man, thought, look, eyes, heart, night, death, live, nature, love, etc.

Use a concordance (http://www.opensourceshakespeare.org/concordance/) to find every instance in which the word is used in Macbeth. Choose 10-12 instances in which the word is used. Go back to the play and reread those scenes.

  Analyze the word in context. How does the use of the word connect to the themes of the play? What is being communicated?

Macbeth Questions

1. Find two or three examples in each act where appearance does not match reality.  
2. Find ten quotations which, taken together, reflect the development of the play.  You do not need to have an equal number of quotations from each act, but you must have at least one from each.  
3. How does the relationship between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth change throughout the play?
4. Look back at the twenty-seven scenes in the play and identify which ones take place at night or in darkness.

Please answer these in your notebook.  

Macbeth Act V

We finished reading Macbeth today. 

Macbeth Act IV questions

Here are the questions we worked on today.  They appear in a slightly different order than they appear in the book.

What is a traitor?  

For Macbeth, Macduff is a traitor.  But whether someone is a “traitor” or a “freedom fighter” depends on who is using the label.  Who would you call a “traitor” in the play?  Why?  Be specific.

How many children had Lady Macbeth?  

Some productions have made “children” a central concept in the play. What is your view?  Does it matter, in the play, whether Lady Macbeth has had children or not?

Different views of the witches.  

How would you present them on stage?

Macbeth Act III questions

We have finished reading Act III.  Please answer the following questions in your notebook:
(These questions are on page 96 in most books; I have typed the questions here for those of you who have the older edition.)

1.  Write six paragraphs, one for each scene, which show how Macbeth's kingship becomes less and less secure.

2.  In each scene, find a quotation which implies that appearance does not match reality.

Macbeth Act II

We are finishing Act II of Macbeth today.

Here is your assignment; a few of the books have a different question.

Much of the imagery in Act II is of violence, horror, and disruption of nature.  Identify one such image that you think is especially powerful from each of the four scenes.  Write a brief account of the effects of each image: what atmosphere it creates or what it reveals about a character.

Macbeth Progress

We are finishing Act I of Macbeth today.  Please answer question 2 on page 36. You can keep your response in your notebook.

Welcome and Yellow Wallpaper Questions

Welcome to the 2017 -2018 school year.

Here are the questions about "The Yellow Wallpaper."  Please make sure you have read the story and finished the questions by tomorrow.

1. Identify five examples of figurative language (metaphor, simile, personification, hyperbole, synecdoche, metonymy) in the story.  What is the context of each example?  What is its purpose?  How does it contribute to the meaning of the story as a whole?
2. Create a plot diagram (pyramid with inciting action, rising action, climax, falling action, resolution, etc.) for the story.
3. Identify the internal and external conflicts the protagonist faces.
4. Identify one or more themes of “The Yellow Wallpaper.”  In other words, what are the “big ideas?”

Metamorphosis Questions

1. Provide evidence that Gregor is actually an insect.
2. Provide evidence that Gregor is still human.
3. In what ways might the metamorphosis be gradual?
4. What other changes take place during the novella?
5. What is the significance of the final paragraph (55)?
6. How is The Metamorphosis like a fairy tale?  Think of folktales/fairytales you know.  Compare them to the novella.  
7. What is symbolic in the novel?  If a object, action, or idea is symbolic, what does it symbolize?  Consider Gregor’s room, the apple, and Mr. Samsa’s uniform, for example.
8. Which characters are doubles of each other?  How?  Are any of them foils?
9. How much does Gregor really know about himself?

Research Paper

Hopefully, you now have a topic for research.  We will be using the Chromebooks in class this week so you can find resources and further narrow your topic. 


Rough drafts will be due April 3rd. 

Final drafts will be due April 19th.


Please make sure you use Purdue OWL while writing.  It is a terrific resource. 

Here is their page about starting the writing process.  

Here is their page about conducting research.  

Honor, Courage, and Pride Questions

Please use specific evidence from Oedipus the King to answer these questions.  Make sure you quote the play.

1) How can different perspectives affect the reader's understanding of honor, courage, or pride?

2) What motivates an individual to be honorable, courageous, or proud?

3) When characters decide to be honorable, courageous, or proud, what internal and/or external conflicts do they face?

4) What are the outcomes of acts of honor, courage, or pride?

5) How are characters ultimately affected by honor, courage, or pride?

We will work on the CFA in class tomorrow and the next day.

Oedipus the King assignment

Since we have finished reading Oedipus the King, here is an assignment:

Find six quotations from Oedipus the King that show dramatic irony.  For each one, copy the quotation and explain how it shows there is dramatic irony at work during that part of the play. Please take note of page numbers.

Here is a pdf of the play.  

Today is the last Book Club Meeting

Journals are due today.

College Prep book club

College Prep Book Club #1

For the next several weeks, you will use your time in English class to meet with your book club.  This club will consist of three to five students who are all reading and discussing the same novella or play. 

Each club must keep a work journal of its daily activities.  This journal will be kept in the classroom for easy access.   For each day you meet, you must keep track of the following:

·         Group members who are present

·         What you accomplished during the meeting

·         Your goals for the next meeting 

·         Additionally, it is recommended that you rotate the role of recording secretary.

Your first act as a group should be to determine each day’s reading assignment.  You may devote some class time to reading, but it must not exceed twenty minutes per period.  Please make sure all group members have the reading schedule; you all should finish the book before your group’s final meeting on February 13^th.

·         Each day, you will discuss your reading.  Take special note of how the author draws attention to what is significant.  You may discuss plot, character development, literary elements, themes, and anything else that pertains to your reading.

·         Please keep a daily journal of your reading, observations, ideas, conversations, and questions.  This will be handed in at the conclusion of this project. 

·         You will find several assignment topics below.  You will complete two of the assignments below. Each one should be at least 300 words long.

1.    Choose a symbol from your novel (an object, a place, an idea) and analyze it.  Do not choose a symbol referenced on Sparknotes or any other online cheating site. 

2.    Choose a short passage—no more than a page long—from your novel and perform a close reading of it.  Make sure you quote from the passage and comment on what you quoted.  Analyze your selection’s connections to the novel’s themes. 

3.    Write an essay in which you discuss how the title relates to the book as a whole—or to a section of the book.

4.    Write about the significance of a minor character.

5.    Trace the use of a particular word in a section of your book.  In what contexts does it appear?  How does it relate to a theme of the book?  The easiest way to find individual words is to search an etext of your, if one is available.

6.    Choose six quotations from your book and analyze each one. 

7.    Choose your own topic.

Here are some important dates:

o   February  3^rd: Assignment #1 due

o   February 10^th: Assignment #2 due

o   February 13^th will be the last day you meet in your clubs.  On that day, please hand in your personal journal and your club’s reading journal.                   

    There are etexts available for some of the books on the list:
The old Man and the Sea
The Invisible Man
Twelfth Night



 

More Poems with Common Themes

Find two more poems that share themes with the poems you chose yesterday.
Analyze each poem.  What literary techniques do you find?  How do the literary elements and techniques contribute to the meaning of each poem as a whole?  What about the theme?
Look back at the four poems.  Which do you like the most?  Why?

Finding Poems that Relate to Other Texts

Consider the texts we’ve read recently (The Stranger, No Exit, and “A Clean, Well-Lighted Place”) What themes do they have in common?

Find a poem that share’s a theme with one of the other texts we have read.  Compare how the two texts deal with the theme.

Once you have done that for one poem, find another poem that shares a theme with one or more of the texts we’ve read.  Compare them.

A Clean Well-Lighted Place

Here are the questions about the story:

Ernest Hemingway said, “I always try to write on the principle of the iceberg. There is seven-eighths of it underwater for every part that shows. Anything you know you can eliminate and it only strengthens your iceberg. It is the part that doesn’t show.”  What is beneath the surface in this story?

 What is not in the story but essential to understanding it?

 “Why is it important to have a “clean, well-lighted place?” to spend time?  What is the relationship of each character to the “place?”

This story is also grouped with novels and plays such as No Exit, The Stranger, and Waiting for Godot.  Why?  What ideas do they have in common?

Here are the questions about the essay on the story:

What is the writer’s thesis?

What literary devices does he discuss?  How do they affect his understanding of the Hemingway story?

What is unclear about the passage?  Write three questions about it.

No Exit Video

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/mshvqdva0vY" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

We are watching this in class.

No Exit

If you have not been in class, please make sure you have read No Exit.

Please answer the following questions in your notebook:

1. Are the characters truly trapped?  What evidence from the text shows this?
2. What is each character's flaw?
3. Who is the most evil?
4. Think back to Waiting for Godot and The Stranger.  What do all three of these works have in common? Are the themes related? How does each seem to see the world? What does each say about the nature of existence?