The Grapes of Wrath
“The earth does not belong to man, man belongs to the earth. All things are connected like the blood that unites us all. Man did not weave the web of life, he is merely a strand in it. Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself.”--Chief Seattle
Wednesday I referred to an essay entitled "Huck Finn as the American Adam." The essay is found in Guerin's A Handbook of Critical Approaches to Literature under the section dealing with the archetypal approach to literary criticism. I would like to spend most of the day Monday discussing this approach, and to do so you all need to be familiar with two works analyzed in the chapter: the poem "To His Coy Mistress" and "Young Goodman Brown."
Monday we will read a poem that is dealt with in the book:
To His Coy Mistress by Andrew Marvell
You need to read it for homework, as well as Nathaniel Hawthorne's short story
Young Goodman Brown. It will probably take you about 25 minutes. We will have a short and easy quiz over the poem and story, so be sure that you read them. (My easy quizzes are only easy if you actually read the story).
Archetypes--Wikipedia definition and origins of the word
Thursday, January 29, 2015
Tuesday, January 20, 2015
Tuesday
Journal:
In what ways is Twain critical of the antebellum (pre-Civil War) South?
In particular, can you find examples of from the text showing his criticism of the Civil War?
Be specific.
Grangerfords and Shepherdsons
Who was killed? Why? In what manner?
Why were they fighting?
What did they value? i.e. what is noble and courageous behavior?
In what ways is Twain critical of the antebellum (pre-Civil War) South?
In particular, can you find examples of from the text showing his criticism of the Civil War?
Be specific.
Grangerfords and Shepherdsons
Who was killed? Why? In what manner?
Why were they fighting?
What did they value? i.e. what is noble and courageous behavior?
Wednesday, January 14, 2015
Friday
Hand in commentary.
Let's take a look at all of the interesting articles that you guys found on contemporary issues relating to Huck Finn. Your assignment is to find your article and then read the other articles in your group. Most groups have three articles. I'm hoping that each group will have one smartphone and you'll be able to read on the phone.
All of the articles fall under the following headings:
CHILD ABUSE, SUBSTANCE ABUSE AND THE FAMILY, ABSENT PARENTS, POVERTY, WEAPONS, CONFORMITY (1ST PER.) and SUBSTANCE ABUSE, FAMILY, SOCIETY, RACISM, SEGREGATION, LAW (2nd Period)
After you've finished reading the other articles, discuss the issue with the other members of your group. Have fun!
Let's take a look at all of the interesting articles that you guys found on contemporary issues relating to Huck Finn. Your assignment is to find your article and then read the other articles in your group. Most groups have three articles. I'm hoping that each group will have one smartphone and you'll be able to read on the phone.
All of the articles fall under the following headings:
CHILD ABUSE, SUBSTANCE ABUSE AND THE FAMILY, ABSENT PARENTS, POVERTY, WEAPONS, CONFORMITY (1ST PER.) and SUBSTANCE ABUSE, FAMILY, SOCIETY, RACISM, SEGREGATION, LAW (2nd Period)
After you've finished reading the other articles, discuss the issue with the other members of your group. Have fun!
Thursday, January 8, 2015
Charlie Hebdo
"The opposite of war is not peace--it's creation"--Jonathan Larson
"I may disagree with what you have to say, but I'll defend to the death your right to say it"--Voltaire
Today's cover of Charlie Hebdo
1,500,000 people march in protest today in Paris. That is the largest demonstration in the history of the country, and perhaps in world history (not counting revolutions. Question: why didn't Americans do this on September 18th, 2001, one week after our attack? Is there a difference between the way we respond to this type of crisis and the way the French do? What does this reveal about the two countries?
FINAL EXAM:
Vocab--Vocab from 2010 PSAT
Reading Comprehension Test, Huck Finn
TODAY:
Hand back Charlie Hebdo/Boggs journal paragraph.
10 points--3 A's only. Redo for more points. Type. Be sure that you:
1. Pull the reader in with your first sentence.
2. State your controlling idea in the first, second, or third sentence.
3. Use specific examples from the text to support your assertion. Try to incorporate quoted material into the fluid sentences that you write.
4. Be sure to discuss your example for 1-3 sentences. Your paragraph is to be more analysis that summary, obviously.
5. Be sure that the reader can see that you have strong ideas that are well supported.
6. Write a strong concluding sentence.
Written commentary, chapter 31
HOMEWORK:
Finish Huck Finn for Tuesday. We will discuss the book in its entirety.
Final exam Wodensday (Oden)
HOMEWORK:
At vigils around the world people are taking up the saying "Je suis Charlie Hebdo" (I am Charlie Hebdo). What does this saying mean to you? Perhaps it resonates with you personally, or perhaps you would like to discuss an idea of yours concerning what it means that the people of the world are moved by the massacre. Other possibilities abound. Be sure to focus on one idea. This is a paragraph, after all, and you need to elaborate upon your idea before you move on to a second or third idea, which would be dealt with if you were to write two or three pages, which you are not.
Monday you will bring this paragraph along with the other journal entries that have not been handed in yet. At that point you will look at all of your writing with a critical eye and determine which one is the strongest writing. We will consider several criteria in making this determination.
BBC Update on Charlie New York Times Terror Attack on Charlie Hebdo Newspaper in Paris Kills 12
Witness video of Shooting
BBC News The provocative cartoon
He Drew First
HOMEWORK:
Write one strong paragraph explaining the point being made in the following cartoon:
Cartoon: Pencil pointing toward gun
"I may disagree with what you have to say, but I'll defend to the death your right to say it"--Voltaire
Today's cover of Charlie Hebdo
1,500,000 people march in protest today in Paris. That is the largest demonstration in the history of the country, and perhaps in world history (not counting revolutions. Question: why didn't Americans do this on September 18th, 2001, one week after our attack? Is there a difference between the way we respond to this type of crisis and the way the French do? What does this reveal about the two countries?
FINAL EXAM:
Vocab--Vocab from 2010 PSAT
Reading Comprehension Test, Huck Finn
TODAY:
Hand back Charlie Hebdo/Boggs journal paragraph.
10 points--3 A's only. Redo for more points. Type. Be sure that you:
1. Pull the reader in with your first sentence.
2. State your controlling idea in the first, second, or third sentence.
3. Use specific examples from the text to support your assertion. Try to incorporate quoted material into the fluid sentences that you write.
4. Be sure to discuss your example for 1-3 sentences. Your paragraph is to be more analysis that summary, obviously.
5. Be sure that the reader can see that you have strong ideas that are well supported.
6. Write a strong concluding sentence.
Written commentary, chapter 31
HOMEWORK:
Finish Huck Finn for Tuesday. We will discuss the book in its entirety.
Final exam Wodensday (Oden)
HOMEWORK:
At vigils around the world people are taking up the saying "Je suis Charlie Hebdo" (I am Charlie Hebdo). What does this saying mean to you? Perhaps it resonates with you personally, or perhaps you would like to discuss an idea of yours concerning what it means that the people of the world are moved by the massacre. Other possibilities abound. Be sure to focus on one idea. This is a paragraph, after all, and you need to elaborate upon your idea before you move on to a second or third idea, which would be dealt with if you were to write two or three pages, which you are not.
Monday you will bring this paragraph along with the other journal entries that have not been handed in yet. At that point you will look at all of your writing with a critical eye and determine which one is the strongest writing. We will consider several criteria in making this determination.
BBC Update on Charlie New York Times Terror Attack on Charlie Hebdo Newspaper in Paris Kills 12
Witness video of Shooting
BBC News The provocative cartoon
He Drew First
HOMEWORK:
Write one strong paragraph explaining the point being made in the following cartoon:
Cartoon: Pencil pointing toward gun
Wednesday, January 7, 2015
January 7
HOMEWORK:
1. Pick an issue
1. Pick an issue
2. Find a very specific article on the Internet that discusses this issue.
3. Read the article (or two or three pages of the article if it's extremely long)
4. Go to the class blog and find the link to a Google Doc where you can enter your thoughts about the article.
5. Type a 3-5 sentence summary of the article. Be sure to quote one or more things actually said in the article. Then write 2-3 sentences telling us why you think this is an important issue.
6. Create a link or copy and paste the web address if you don't know how to create a link
1st Period:
Contemporary Issues Similar to Those in Huck Finn (Last Name ending in A-L)
Contemporary Issues Similar to Those in Huck Finn (Last Name ending in M-Z)
Contemporary Issues Similar to Those in Huck Finn (Last Name ending in A-L)
Contemporary Issues Similar to Those in Huck Finn (Last Name ending in M-Z)
2nd Period Google Doc:
Contemporary Issues Similar to Those in Huck Finn (Last Name ending in A-L)
Contemporary Issues Similar to Those in Huck Finn (Last Name ending in M-Z)
Contemporary Issues Similar to Those in Huck Finn (Last Name ending in A-L)
Contemporary Issues Similar to Those in Huck Finn (Last Name ending in M-Z)
At the bottom of this page you will find ideas that 1st and 2nd periods generated.
CONTEMPORARY ISSUES SIMILAR TO THOSE FACED BY HUCK
Sometimes when we read a novel like Huckleberry Finn, there is a disconnect and we find it difficult to completely relate to the struggles of the protagonist. We might think, "That was then, this is now." If we really think about it, though, Huck's world is our world in many ways.
I'd like to brainstorm as a class and see how many contemporary issues we can find that are similar to the issues in the novel.
2nd period
Broken homes and the challenges faced by children in those homes
Fraud, identity theft, white collar crime, etc.
Substance abuse
Child abuse (connection to substance abuse, etc.)
Discrimination(sexism, etc.)
Prostitution
Slavery, human trafficking, sex slaves
Law interpretation--local, state
Segregation
Racial slurs
1st period
Racism--discrimination (in schools)
Child abuse--(physical and emotional abuse in families. . . )
Custody battles
Conformity
Lack of Education (school not accessible, dropout rates, Waiting for Superman. . .)
Peer pressure
Substance abuse
Right to bear arms
Sexism
Absent father figure
classism
unemployment
housing
poverty
Monday, January 5, 2015
Welcome back!
FINAL EXAM, January 22
Creative Book Report--Raise your grade up to +5%
Read one of the novels from the following list and write a book report. This is quite a bit of work, but the book reports are a lot of fun and the novels are fantastic.
Reading List
Creative Book Reports
Due at the Final Exam
TODAY:
Journal: Take fifteen minutes to evaluate the following. I'm not so much concerned with paragraph structure and all--simply get out as many of your ideas as you can in 15 min.
Prompt: At the beginning of chapter 22, Colonel Sherburn talks to the crowd and delivers a message with some thought-provoking ideas. Is he speaking for Twain? In other words, is he the voice of the author, sharing an insightful idea concerning human nature? To what extent is this true? What is Twain's message to us? Quite likely he is saying more than one thing.
Huck Finn--The Death of Boggs
What point is Mark Twain making in this passage from the novel? In particular, what aspect of Colonel Sherburn's character does Twain find repugnant?
HOMEWORK:
Write one long paragraph explaining Twain's point. Refer to two or more specific examples of word choice, imagery, etc. to support your point.
This assignment is a short version of a commentary. The passage is approximately 30 lines long, and you are to explain the effect of the imagery in the passage (common IB prompt wording).
To do this you must:
1. Identify a theme. Often it helps to find what you consider to the be key word of the passage
2. Write a topic sentence for that theme stating the point the author is making
3. Find textual support--one very specific example, quoted
4. Explain what point is being made in the quoted word or image
(it will likely take two sentences to fully explain)
5. Find a second example of textual support--one very specific example, quoted
6. Explain what point is being made in the quoted word or image
7. Concluding sentence
Compare Boggs illustration to:
- Huck Finn test
- 40 Vocab Words-- vocabulary words from the 2010 PSAT Harmony Alvarez made this Quizlet deck for the words. Thank you Harmony! Vocab from 2010 PSAT
Creative Book Report--Raise your grade up to +5%
Read one of the novels from the following list and write a book report. This is quite a bit of work, but the book reports are a lot of fun and the novels are fantastic.
Reading List
Creative Book Reports
Due at the Final Exam
TODAY:
Journal: Take fifteen minutes to evaluate the following. I'm not so much concerned with paragraph structure and all--simply get out as many of your ideas as you can in 15 min.
Prompt: At the beginning of chapter 22, Colonel Sherburn talks to the crowd and delivers a message with some thought-provoking ideas. Is he speaking for Twain? In other words, is he the voice of the author, sharing an insightful idea concerning human nature? To what extent is this true? What is Twain's message to us? Quite likely he is saying more than one thing.
Huck Finn--The Death of Boggs
What point is Mark Twain making in this passage from the novel? In particular, what aspect of Colonel Sherburn's character does Twain find repugnant?
HOMEWORK:
Write one long paragraph explaining Twain's point. Refer to two or more specific examples of word choice, imagery, etc. to support your point.
This assignment is a short version of a commentary. The passage is approximately 30 lines long, and you are to explain the effect of the imagery in the passage (common IB prompt wording).
To do this you must:
1. Identify a theme. Often it helps to find what you consider to the be key word of the passage
2. Write a topic sentence for that theme stating the point the author is making
3. Find textual support--one very specific example, quoted
4. Explain what point is being made in the quoted word or image
(it will likely take two sentences to fully explain)
5. Find a second example of textual support--one very specific example, quoted
6. Explain what point is being made in the quoted word or image
7. Concluding sentence
Compare Boggs illustration to:
Goya's painting Execution, May 3, 1808
Manet's Execution Emperor Maximillian
Picasso's Guernica
#mediaviewer/File:PicassoGuernica.jpg){kind=link}
Wikipedia article discussing Goya's painting
Extra Credit option for the end of the semester
Creative Book Report--Raise your grade up to +5%
Read one of the novels from the following list and write a book report. This is quite a bit of work, but the book reports are a lot of fun and the novels are fantastic.
Reading List
Creative Book Reports
Extra Credit option for the end of the semester
Creative Book Report--Raise your grade up to +5%
Read one of the novels from the following list and write a book report. This is quite a bit of work, but the book reports are a lot of fun and the novels are fantastic.
Reading List
Creative Book Reports
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