Here is the writing schedule for Ulysses. In the essay, your job is to answer the original question (which is also the title of this post). You must use the evidence you’ve collected in your journal. Goal = to create a readable, interesting, mature sounding essay that answers the big question and proves that you understand the character of ULYSSES.

Rules to live by:

• All drafts are typed,
• Use the rubric as your guide, keep your outline and draft
• Essays are at least five paragraphs long.
• A paragraph is at least three sentences long
• Quotes and evidence from the book are required
• Use the information you’ve collected in your journal
• Spelling and grammar count
• Go beyond the obvious
• Essays have titles
• Remember the reader. Write so that anybody can understand.

A DAY

• Wednesday, 11/11 = Book quiz, talk about the rubric, write introduction in class.  Homework is to create an OUTLINE (not a rough draft) for Wednesday. Bring your outline to class. Complete outline, typed = 5 pts. Incomplete or not typed = 0 pts.
• Friday 11/13 conferences no school
• Monday 11/16 = Review the outlines. Begin hand writing in class. Remember, an essay has at least FIVE paragraphs including the introduction and the conclusion.
• Wednesday, 11/18 =Bring COMPLETE, TYPED draft to class. A complete typed draft has a conclusion and body as well as an introduction. NO HANDWRITTEN DRAFTS PLEASE. We will edit and read each others’. Complete, typed draft = 5 pts. Anything less = 0 pts.
• Friday, 11/20 =  Final version due. It will be 1.5 or 2.0 spaced. Your name, the date, the class period and the title of your essay will be at the top.You will also have your rough draft and outline included when you hand in the final.

B Day

• Tuesday, 11/10 = Finalize introductions.  Talk about the body. Homework is to create an OUTLINE (not a rough draft) for Wednesday. Bring your outline to class. Complete outline, typed = 5 pts. Incomplete or not typed = 0 pts.
• Thursday 11/12 = Review the outlines. Begin hand writing in class. Remember, an essay has at least FIVE paragraphs including the introduction and the conclusion.
• Tuesday 11/17 = Bring COMPLETE, TYPED draft to class. A complete typed draft has a conclusion and body as well as an introduction. NO HANDWRITTEN DRAFTS PLEASE. We will edit and read each others’. Complete, typed draft = 5 pts. Anything less = 0 pts.
• Thursday, 11/19 = Final version due. It will be 1.5 or 2.0 spaced. Your name, the date, the class period and the title of your essay will be at the top. You will also have your rough draft and outline included when you hand in the final.

Short stories you can sink your teeth into

"sink your teeth into" means to enjoy, become interested.

There are countless fine American stories from the “big century” (20th), but these three are probably the most read, talked about, influential and alluded to in American Culture. Discussion questions/topics are listed beneath each story. Goal = to write an analytical essay about one or more of the stories and to find works of art and poetry that share similarities with the stories.

• You’ll be finding and recording one work of art (this means photography, painting, sculpture, film, etc.) as well as poetry to create a short story portfolio that can be added to over time. These four stories make a strong start.  When you choose particular pieces, be aware that you will need to justify and explain your choices in writing; for every pair (art/poem) you shall produce a one page explanation.
• You will also write an analytical piece based on one of the journal prompts (or any other subject you feel should be explored) from any of the stories. This is graded with the writing rubric.
• You are graded on three things: the completeness of your journal (10 pts.), your main analytical essay (25 pts.), and the portfolio (40 pts.).

For your daily responses (the questions below), text evidence IS NECESSARY. Have it!. Label your journal with the title of the story you are reflecting on, and keep your entries legible, numbered and titled with the italicized word on the left.  Be prepared to TALK, SHARE and DISCUSS your thoughts with others.

WHEN ARE THINGS DUE?

Analytical paper:

week of 11/2 – 11/6 “The Lady, or the Tiger” by Frank Stockton (1900’s)

1. Issues. The princess makes a choice. What is her dilemma?

2. Mystery. Is there any evidence in the text to suggest  the final outcome?

2. Human nature.  What would either of her choices suggest about human nature?

3. Tradition. How could this story be considered the antithesis of a fairy tale?

4. Setting.  Why the archaic setting?

- record four new words or terms

week of 11/9 – 11/12 “The Most Dangerous Game” by Richard Connell  (1930’s)

1. Title:  What is the significance of the title?

2. Suspense:  How does the author build suspense as the “story arc” ascends?

3. Irony:   How is irony present in the story?

4. Whitney:  What is the purpose of Whitney character?

5. Theme:  What larger themes and ideas are present in the story?

6. Zaroff:   What villainous qualities does he possess?

7. Rainsford:  By the story’e end, is he a changed man? Or is he more the same than ever

-also, record four new words/terms

week of 11/9 – 11/12 “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson (1950’s)

1. Irony:  Is irony present?

2. Foreshadowing:  How are events foreshadowed in the story?

3. Theme:  What themes and larger ideas are present?

4. Symbolism:  What symbolic elements are present?

5. Setting:  How is the setting of the story important?

6. Characters:  Choose three characters and speculate as to each one’s purpose in the story.

7. Intrigue and suspense:  How does the author build  suspense as the story progresses?

8. Allegory: What is the possible allegorical value of this story?

-also, record four new words/terms

week of 11/16 – 11/20 “Where are you going? Where have you been?” by Joyce Carol Oates (1960’s)

1.  Title: What is the relevance?

2.  Connie: Is she truly innocent? Is the Connie at the end of the story different than the Connie at the beginning?

3.  Arnold Friend: What’s his symbolic value?

4.  Language: How does arnold Friend manipulate language?

5.  Ellie: What is the purpose of this character?

6.  The End: Explain Connie’s actions at the end.

7. Allegory:  What is the possible allegorical value of this story?

-also, record four new words/terms

]]> http://bananamagic.wordpress.com/2009/11/01/four-major-20th-century-short-stories-early-november/feed/ 0 terrancewilson Hardtodigest http://bananamagic.wordpress.com/2009/10/14/more-short-stories-20th-century-and-common-sat-style-vocabulary/ http://bananamagic.wordpress.com/2009/10/14/more-short-stories-20th-century-and-common-sat-style-vocabulary/#comments Wed, 14 Oct 2009 13:12:06 +0000 terrancewilson http://bananamagic.wordpress.com/?p=1250 ]]>

Here’s more common, useful vocabulary and figures of speech

"MORE vocabulary before halloween? Are you crazy?!!"

ADJECTIVES:

Meticulous

Belligerent

Austere

Pungent

VERBS

Coerce

Squander

Thwart

Perpetuate

NOUNS

Rhetoric

Epitome

Zeal

Martyr

Figures of speech/Idiomatic sayings

Being “well-heeled”

When something is “A Mecca”

Being “between a rock and a hard place”

To do something “off the cuff”

HONORS/AP WORDS (opposite pairs)

timid/brazen

asset/liability

sparse/abundant

squalid/opulent

We Shall Quiz on the vocab. and idioms 10/22 or 10/23 depending on A or B

The Big Question: How does Ulysses show himself as a hero and a problem solver?

The mighty Ulysses and the cowardly suitors.

The reading for each day is to be completed BEFORE the next class. each day’s reading requires a journal entry.

AFTER FALL BREAK:

A DAY SCHEDULE:

11/3 Tuesday = Wandering Rocks, The Sirens, Scylla and Charybdis

11/5 Thursday = The Cattle of the Sun, Calypso, Ino’s Veil

11/9 Monday = Nausicaa, The Return

11/11 Wednesday = book test and prewrite. review rubric. “What’s an essay look like?”

B DAY SCHEDULE:

11/2 Monday = The Cattle of the Sun, Calypso, Ino’s Veil

11/4 Wednesday = Nausicaa, The Return

11/6 Friday = book test and prewrite. review rubric. “What’s an essay look like?”

There will be short daily quizzes on the reading sections from the class session before. For those of you in ESL/ELL, Mrs. Koga is aware of the assignments, has copies of the books in her classroom, and will allow you extra time for reading and journaling.

You will be writing a response essay about Ulysses, answering the Big Question above;  How does Ulysses show himself to be a hero and a problem solver?

JOURNAL ENTRIES

Every reading section for the day gets a journal entry which focuses on Ulysses as a hero and a problem solver. Each of these entries gets a full right and left side of your English journal, and has the date. It lists the chapters for that day. It MUST be legible and complete for full credit. The reading schedule is broken up into six sections. Every section gets an entry. There will be six in total.

The entries look EXACTLY like this:

Chapter titles_______________ date_______

Soon we will learn the tale of brave Ulysses (also known as Odysseus).  Ulysses was a King and a leader in the Greek Army. He went to war against the forces of Troy (that’s why it’s called the Trojan War). Troy was a rival city near Greece. The war was HUGE and it took Ulysses ten years to find his way home. To understand Ulysses, we have to understand why he left home in the first place.

Trojan Warrior

Please answer these questions on a separate piece of loose leaf paper.  Make sure your name and class are at the top. The heading should be “The Trojan War.”  All answers must contain at least four complete sentences in paragraph form (not bullet points). A great place to look up information on these questions is ENCARTA.  Another place is MYTHNET

1. In greek myth, who was Paris?

The big hollow wooden horse

2. What was “The Judgement of Paris?”

3. Who was Helen of Troy?

4. What was Sparta? What does it have to do with the War?

5. Who were Menelaus and Agamemnon?

6. What was the “Trojan Horse?” Who’s idea was it?

7. So, why was the Trojan War fought?

This is due NEXT CLASS: B = Wednesday 10/7,   A= Thursday 10/8

SCHEDULE :     B DAY Presents 10/1 (Thurs)      and   A Day presents 10/2 (Fri)

MAHZANS!   Icarus in 10/21!

Nature Myths. Presentation rubric. Tableaux

SHARED 0-3                         4-5                        6-8             9-10

INDIVIDUAL 0-3                 4-5                       6-8                      9-10

Nature Myths. P. 55-.105

Nature myths in Living Pictures “Les Tableaux Vivants”

Cupid (Eros) and Psyche

What it means:

Tableaux vivants tell a story through a series of still images. Actors strike poses in a particular setting (or settings) in order to tell a story or interpret an idea.  Creating a tableaux series means expressing ideas through body positioning, facial expression, costumes, props and visual effects. There is no sound, but you would be surprised at how fun these things can be to create, and how expressive they are as a dramatic art form.

Concentrate on one nature myth from our book.

Prometheus

Pandora

Phaethon

Orpheus

Narcissus and Echo

Eros and Psyche

ICARUS!

Text and captions:

Each image should have a caption to accompany it. This must be a direct quote taken from the story, and it should go along with the photo. It can be narration or dialog. The main thing is that the captions must make sense when placed with the images.

Images:

In the series, you should use no fewer than TEN images, but no more than FIFTEEN. This means photos, which means you need a camera. The photos can contain anybody you want, but a group member must be present in each, and all group members must appear in at least one photo. The photos can look any way you want, with any effects you want. Just remember that they must go along with the story.

Presentations:  Your tableaux and a verbal retelling of the tale are to be presented to the class. The school will be invited.

MUST DO checklist:

• This can must be in a powerpoint/keynote OR hosted on a website that can be accessed in class.  Either way, it is to be presented to the class.
• As a group, you must tell the myth story verbally, sharing speaking duties. Use the images to help you tell the tale of your myth. All members must speak.  Notes are limited to a notecard per person. NO MORE.
• In your presentation, you must discuss the enduring ideas/lasting truths/timeless lessons that appear in the story
• As well as having your own photos, you must display at least three existing images depicting the characters or story of the myth.
• You must incorporate FIVE fantastic new vocabulary words from the story. Describe what each word means and the example of how it is used in the story

Rubric, schedule and more to come SOON.

Personal narratives are all about you. Well, actually they’re all about an idea, a truth, a claim, a thesis… but these must be explored through your eyes.  Unlike other kinds of essays in which there is detachment, a personal narrative depends on the writer’s personal experiences and beliefs.

Question: Can I use “I” in my essay?

Answer: If it’s a personal narrative, YES.

Question: So am I just supposed to tell a story?

Answer: No. You are supposed to tell a story that illustrates a point.

Build your writing around a central point, a main idea that your story then supports and explains. This is crucial, and perhaps the defining characteristic between a true narrative essay and “just telling a story”.  This main idea will be the thesis of your essay, and will say something that the story itself then illuminates, explores and shows to be true. The subject of your essay can be quite personal. In fact, it should; it does not have to capture a truth about humanity as a whole or explain the essence of the human condition. It simply needs to capture a truth about your life, using the story (the narrative experience) to illustrate its importance to you. In this way, it then has meaning to the readers as well. Personal narratives are reflective and purposeful.  Things must happen. You have to be part of it or it does not work.  Look at the contrasts in the examples below.

• Recounting last year’s Kitara:  Just a story.
• Recounting last year’s Kitara and how it brought me closer to my friends:    narrative essay
• What happened on our camping trip:    Just a story
• I learned a lot about my family on our camping trip:    narrative essay
• Technology can isolate people:   Great thesis, not even a story, though
• Technology can isolate people. It happened to me. Let me share my experiences:   narrative essay

For this essay, there is a firm ban on silly/joke topics. This is not to say that your work cannot have comedy value in the storytelling. Rather, it means that you must sincerely explore a sincere subject. This will be a piece of writing that could serve you well in the future; colleges, scholarships, organizations and competitions often ask for an essay of this type.  “Describe a time when you…”

These are actual “winning” sample essays (click for link) by high schoolers for college admissions at Brown and Harvard Universities. Here is another from a Stanford applicant.   Comments are included. Please look.

Draft ONE – 9/14 0r 9/15 (Monday or Tuesday depending on A/B). Have in hand a complete, typed, stapled version of your narrative. HAVE THIS PRINTED OUT BEFORE CLASS. Do not expect to print it during class; you will be asked to leave. If you have a software issue, compatibility issue, e-mail issue, any issue, clear it up prior to this day. If you have no draft, you will be asked to leave. Typed work only, please.

Draft TWO – 9/28 or 9/29 (Monday or Tuesday depending on A/B). See above directions

The FINAL is due 10/5 or 10/6 (Monday or Tuesday depending on A/B).  The final will be submitted with both drafts included, attached with the FINAL ON TOP.

The writing rubric applies. 50 points max. 5 points each for first and second drafts (on the days they are mentioned due above). This makes a total of 60 points possible. This is a major writing assignment.

Here’s are the two main questions for this first unit, which will take most of the first quarter:

“What can Greek myths tell us about Greek society and values?”

and…

“How can myths explain things that happen or exist in the real world?”

Your goal in this unit is to be able to give an answer to those questions. Another goal is to become more familiar with Greek gods, goddesses and myths, which are still popular around the world today. This won’t be the last time you hear about them or read about them! Here is a link to the stories online, although they may be a tiny bit different than the versions in the book.

8/24-8/28.    Zeus, Hera, Athene, Poseidon. (independent journaling)

8/31-9/4.    Hades, Demeter, Artemis, Apollo. (groups present)

• Real world connections. What kinds of things (like stuff in nature or words we use today), if any, are explained by the myth?
• Summary. What happens? Who’s in it? What goes on?
• Three vocab words. Define and give examples of how they can be used.
• Reflections of Greek life. What kinds of things does the story suggest about greek belief and thought.
• Acting scene from story. Show a crucial scene to bring the story to life.

VOCAB WORDS! These will be on the quiz.  Developing: domain, dank, smolder, revoke, corpse. Standard + prudent, lamentation, herald, chastity, brute, nymph, oblige, folly, tunic, abode. Honors+ decree, distraught, prophecy, disperse, thwart.

9/7-9/11.     Sons of Apollo, Hermes, Hephaestus, Aphrodite.

This is a list of major Greek gods we will read about. The are LOTS of gods in Greek myth, but these are the really important ones to know.

the Olympians

]]> http://bananamagic.wordpress.com/2009/08/23/heroes-gods-monsters/feed/ 0 terrancewilson zeus poseidon athene Hera greek_gods400