Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
Welcome! Today I am going to go over the course outline and classroom expectations. If you are not here (late register; simply absent) it is up to you to ask me for a course outline and to read it carefully on your own. I am a stickler for the details - doing this will save both of us from clashing.
Sunday, March 18, 2007
Monday, March 19, 2007
You are starting your Poetry unit today. I will be handing out an itinerary that barring changes, should be pretty accurate. Below are the notes and first assignment. This is due tomorrow.
Purpose
The purpose of poetry is to express fully the emotions and imagery that might not easily be captured in an essay or story. What often makes reading it so difficult is that many of us think in terms of black and white. Figurative language, with its use of symbolism, connotations, etc., can make the task of reading poetry accurately a bit of a challenge. It’s important then, that you take the time to read it accurately and look for the literal and underlying meaning in what is being presented.
English 30: Poetry Unit: Introductory Assignment
Define the following poetic terms. You may use a computer to do so and may work in pairs (if you are not being disruptive). Keep in mind that “cut and paste” will not work. I want you to re-word the definitions into your own words. By doing this, you’ll have a higher rate of retention.
Terms to define:
Terms to define:
· pastoral
accent
· personification
allegory
· pun
alliteration
· requiem
allusion
· paradox
analogy
· simile
apostrophe (make up an example as well)
· sonnet
ballad
· stanza
blank verse
· idyll
cacophony
· imagery
couplet
· imperfect rhyme (make up an example as well)
connotation
· irony
denotation
· juxtaposition (give me an example as well)
elegy
· metaphor
epic
· onomatopoeia
free verse
· oxymoron
haiku
· parody
hyperbole
Due Date: Tuesday, March 20
If you want to read ahead, read the poem “An Old Man’s Winter Night,” which will be handed out upon request.
Purpose
The purpose of poetry is to express fully the emotions and imagery that might not easily be captured in an essay or story. What often makes reading it so difficult is that many of us think in terms of black and white. Figurative language, with its use of symbolism, connotations, etc., can make the task of reading poetry accurately a bit of a challenge. It’s important then, that you take the time to read it accurately and look for the literal and underlying meaning in what is being presented.
English 30: Poetry Unit: Introductory Assignment
Define the following poetic terms. You may use a computer to do so and may work in pairs (if you are not being disruptive). Keep in mind that “cut and paste” will not work. I want you to re-word the definitions into your own words. By doing this, you’ll have a higher rate of retention.
Terms to define:
Terms to define:
· pastoral
accent
· personification
allegory
· pun
alliteration
· requiem
allusion
· paradox
analogy
· simile
apostrophe (make up an example as well)
· sonnet
ballad
· stanza
blank verse
· idyll
cacophony
· imagery
couplet
· imperfect rhyme (make up an example as well)
connotation
· irony
denotation
· juxtaposition (give me an example as well)
elegy
· metaphor
epic
· onomatopoeia
free verse
· oxymoron
haiku
· parody
hyperbole
Due Date: Tuesday, March 20
If you want to read ahead, read the poem “An Old Man’s Winter Night,” which will be handed out upon request.
Friday, March 16
You are writing an in class Multipel Choice unit exam for the short story unit. If you are not here, you will need to make arrangements with Mrs. Watts.
Thurday, March 15
You are writing an in-class short story unit written response.
If you are not here, you will need to make arrangements with Mrs. Watts.
If you are not here, you will need to make arrangements with Mrs. Watts.
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
Today, we will discuss the in-class response they will be doing tomorrow as well as the fourth rule of commas. I have placed the notes for commas and the notes about tomorrow's exam below:
The Comma
WHEN IN DOUBT, LEAVE THE COMMA OUT!
There are four comma rules
Rule #1 : Use commas to separate items in a series of three or more.
Rule #2 : Use comma(s) to separate from the rest of the sentence any word or
expression that is not essential to the sentence’s meaning or that means the same as something else in the sentence.
Rule #3 : Place a comma between independent clauses when they are joined by these transition words.:
and nor for
or but yet
so
Rule # 4 : Put a comma after any word or group of words that comes before an independent clause.
e.g.,
Charlie, you aren’t paying any attention. (The second rule applies
here, too.)
Though tattered and torn, the book was worth a fortune.
Wherever you go, remember me.
If that’s all there is, we’d better buy more.
Until he got his promotion, he was quite friendly.
Final note: Never place a single comma between a subject and its verb:
right: Adam and Liz are going into business.
wrong: Adam and Liz, are going into business
Two commas between a subject and its verb are all right, however, if they are setting off nonessential material:
Adam and Liz, both recent graduates, are going into business.
Test Prep
We will discuss the exam so students will not be too worried
The in-class essay will be a critical literary essay (not personal: no “I” or anecdotes)
Students will need to make sure they know the summaries of three short stories we studied in class (“Outside Edges”, “Miss. Brill”, “The War”) as well as the names of the author’s and purpose of each.
I will only expect them to write on one of these to prove their point in relation to the theme I give them.
I will present them with a piece of reading (short) and a theme it shows and then expect them to develop their understanding of this theme using one of the pieces above.
The Comma
WHEN IN DOUBT, LEAVE THE COMMA OUT!
There are four comma rules
Rule #1 : Use commas to separate items in a series of three or more.
Rule #2 : Use comma(s) to separate from the rest of the sentence any word or
expression that is not essential to the sentence’s meaning or that means the same as something else in the sentence.
Rule #3 : Place a comma between independent clauses when they are joined by these transition words.:
and nor for
or but yet
so
Rule # 4 : Put a comma after any word or group of words that comes before an independent clause.
e.g.,
Charlie, you aren’t paying any attention. (The second rule applies
here, too.)
Though tattered and torn, the book was worth a fortune.
Wherever you go, remember me.
If that’s all there is, we’d better buy more.
Until he got his promotion, he was quite friendly.
Final note: Never place a single comma between a subject and its verb:
right: Adam and Liz are going into business.
wrong: Adam and Liz, are going into business
Two commas between a subject and its verb are all right, however, if they are setting off nonessential material:
Adam and Liz, both recent graduates, are going into business.
Test Prep
We will discuss the exam so students will not be too worried
The in-class essay will be a critical literary essay (not personal: no “I” or anecdotes)
Students will need to make sure they know the summaries of three short stories we studied in class (“Outside Edges”, “Miss. Brill”, “The War”) as well as the names of the author’s and purpose of each.
I will only expect them to write on one of these to prove their point in relation to the theme I give them.
I will present them with a piece of reading (short) and a theme it shows and then expect them to develop their understanding of this theme using one of the pieces above.
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
“War” by Timothy Findley (in Viewpoints 12)
Students will watch a video on this story in order to demonstrate how much more in-depth the readings are.
We will then discuss it as a class, looking at similarities, differences and the different interpretations that came from the viewing versus the reading.
Test Prep
We will discuss the exam so students will not be too worried
The in-class essay will be a critical literary essay (not personal: no “I” or anecdotes)
Students will need to make sure they know the summaries of three short stories we studied in class (“Outside Edges”, “Miss. Brill”, “The War”) as well as the names of the author’s and purpose of each.
I will only expect them to write on one of these to prove their point in relation to the theme I give them.
I will present them with a piece of reading (short) and a theme it shows and then expect them to develop their understanding of this theme using one of the pieces above.
Students will watch a video on this story in order to demonstrate how much more in-depth the readings are.
We will then discuss it as a class, looking at similarities, differences and the different interpretations that came from the viewing versus the reading.
Test Prep
We will discuss the exam so students will not be too worried
The in-class essay will be a critical literary essay (not personal: no “I” or anecdotes)
Students will need to make sure they know the summaries of three short stories we studied in class (“Outside Edges”, “Miss. Brill”, “The War”) as well as the names of the author’s and purpose of each.
I will only expect them to write on one of these to prove their point in relation to the theme I give them.
I will present them with a piece of reading (short) and a theme it shows and then expect them to develop their understanding of this theme using one of the pieces above.
Monday, March 12, 2007
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Journal: What types of reactions can you remember having in a situation where you’ve felt betrayed (as Neil did in “Wars”)? Describe the reaction(s) and situation.
We will mark the questions from "Four Seasons”
I usually break these down for discussion. I still want to look at all of it to determine active reading and thoughtful responses to arrive at answers.
Hand them in once they are marked.
“War” by Timothy Findley (in Viewpoints 12)
Students are to answer questions 1, 2, and 3 on pages 136 and 137 of their text.
You may work on these in pairs but keep in mind that the questions are due tomorrow and that the absence of one of them is not an excuse to get them in.
Reminder: you have an in-class essay exam on Thursday in which you will need to understand “War”, “Outside Edges” and “Miss. Brill” (as they will need to refer to at least one of these in their writing) and a short story multiple choice comprehension exam on Friday, March 16.
We will mark the questions from "Four Seasons”
I usually break these down for discussion. I still want to look at all of it to determine active reading and thoughtful responses to arrive at answers.
Hand them in once they are marked.
“War” by Timothy Findley (in Viewpoints 12)
Students are to answer questions 1, 2, and 3 on pages 136 and 137 of their text.
You may work on these in pairs but keep in mind that the questions are due tomorrow and that the absence of one of them is not an excuse to get them in.
Reminder: you have an in-class essay exam on Thursday in which you will need to understand “War”, “Outside Edges” and “Miss. Brill” (as they will need to refer to at least one of these in their writing) and a short story multiple choice comprehension exam on Friday, March 16.
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