Losen World Literature 2010-2011

Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday

Bring your textbooks for exam review. Bring questions too.

Thursday:


Exam for period 6 & 8 (6 only for my classes)

Friday:

Exam for periods 5th & 7th

Monday:

No exams in my class, but you probably have exams in other classes--1st and 3rd.

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Agenda for the Week of January 18-January 21, 2011

First, have your textbooks with you!

Tuesday / Wednesday:

You will receive a hand-out on the evaluation criteria for the SAT essay. I will go over it. Keep that in mind as you begin your revisions.

Next, you will receive your essays with typed comments. I have written more about some papers than others. That is because I eventually addressed many of the issues on last week’s handout. Keep that in mind when revising too.

For the even classes, we will go to the yearbook computer lab. For the odd classes, we will get the Mac lab. Either way, you will print out a revised, double-spaced copy of your essay at the end of class. You will turn in your rough draft with it.

Homework: Do vocabulary exercise #10.

 

Thursday/Friday:

We will go over the vocabulary exercises. If everyone has taken the vocabulary test, you will also get that back and we will go over it. We will spend the rest of the time reviewing for the exam.

This is subject to change, of course, depending upon the weather.

Bring your white books to class on Monday/Tuesday.

Monday/Tuesday

Discussion of "Araby."

You will receive a copy of George Orwell's famous essay on writing, "Politics and the English Language." We will discuss it.

You will receive a handout on the comparison/contrast essay. We will go over it. You can find a form of the handout on "Losennotes" Blog.

Homework for Thursday/Friday: Study for your vocabulary test.

Wednesday/Thursday: Vocabulary test.

You will receive your essays with the limited comments on them. Learn also from the hand-out that I share with you

Homework: Do chapter 10 in your vocabulary book.

Friday: Go over chapter ten.

Monday/Tuesday:


We are going to do the "No" drama in class. 


After that, we will watch more of "Seven Samurai."


Homework:  Read the 6-page document entitled "Supreme Court of the United States." I will include it in the "Losennotes" just in case. Be prepared to answer the following questions (possibly in the form of a reading quiz):

Monday/Tuesday:

Quiz on "No" drama.

Review poems from last week.  Answer writing prompt in your book. Turn in. Watch some of your movies.

No homework.

Wednesday/Thursday: Because Rita Mae Brown will be here for fifth period, and because I will be absent on Thursday, you will probably watch a movie. I haven't decided which one yet--maybe "The Seven Samauri" if I can find it. For now, it's TBA.

Homework: Chapter nine of your vocabulary book.

Friday:

Check vocabulary. Homework:

This weekend has been a real bear. I started out intending to have you read one work. Then I read it, did not like it, so I read another. Again, I read it, didn't like it, and so selected other works. It reminds me of that part in Monty Python about "Swamp Castle." Let's see if I remember this correctly:

Father: People said I was daft to put up a castle in a swamp. But I did it anyway. It sank into the swamp...

Then I built a second castle. That also sank into the swamp. So I built a third castle, that burnt down, fell over, then sank into the swamp. But this one stayed up! (or something like that).

I'm hoping that you won't have to marry Princess Lokie.... If you do, please know that I tried.

By the way, I wrote an essay on "The Dead." I want to share that with you--along with the process--by the end of hte we

Monday/Tuesday:

As directed, you should have your white textbooks with you (Literature and Composition). First, you will receive the handout of this week’s agenda. Included in the hand-out will be William Butler Yeats’ famous poem, “The Second Coming.”  We will read that in class, along with some information about the background of the poet, his wife George, and his muse, Maud Gonne. You will also learn a little about Lady Augusta Gregory and Robert Gregory. The latter died when his plane was shot down during World War I. We will take a break part-way through the packet to turn to page 302 in your white textbooks. There, we will read Yeats’ “A Prayer for My Daughter.” In small groups, you will answer the questions on pp. 304-305.

Once we have gone over the answers to these questions in class, you will continue reading about Yeats—this time about the context of “A Prayer for My Daughter.”

Following this, you will read Langston Hughes’ poem, “Mother to Son.”  Together, we will attempt to answer the questions on pp. 306-307.

For homework, you are to read (under “Paired Poems”) Eavan Boland’s “The Pomegranate” (323-325) and Rita Dove’s “The Bistro Styx” (326 - 328). Half of the class will answer the questions that accompany “The Pomegranate.” The other half will answer the questions that accompany “The Bistro Styx.”  This homework is to be your work—alone. You are not to work with peers, family members, or anyone else. You are not to use study guides like Cliff’s Notes, Sparknotes, or any other kind of “short-cut.” I want you to attempt to learn how to do this on your own. Your work will be checked for completion.

Make sure that you read the information preceding the poems and that you read the footnotes. They will help you a great deal.

Wednesday/Thursday:

I (or my substitute on Thursday) will check to see that you have completed the homework assignment. We will then go over it in class. 


Then, in small groups, you will answer one of the questions 1-5 under "Focus on Comparison and Contrast" (328-329).  A leader from each group will discuss what his/her group has found.


There will be a timed, in-class writing assignment of 30 minutes. Paper will be provided. You must write in blue or black ink—and double-spaced. Turn in when the timer goes off.

If time remains in class, you may work on your vocabulary homework--Chapter 8.

Homework: Your “movies” have been delayed until Friday. They were to have been completed on Wednesday /Thursday. Because I cannot be in class on Thursday, they will be due (in flash-drive form—make sure that you have two—just in case) on Friday, December 3rd. Even though half of the class will probably be going on the field trip, it needs to get to me on that day.

Also, your next vocabulary unit is due—Chapter Eight.

 

Friday:

I will check out your vocabulary. You will download your movies. We will go over the vocabulary.

Read the hand-out on the "No" play.


 

Thanksgiving Week!

Monday/Tuesday

Constitution Day--

Other than that, I am planning on getting the Mac Lab. We will work on movies.

Wednesday:

Work on movies.

Homework over the holidays: Are you kidding? Have a good time and get some rest, unless you have more work to do on editing your videos at home.

Monday/Tuesday

Work on scripts and act out scenes.

Wednesday/Thursday

You should begin or finish editing. Polish over the weekend. The final project (including the properly edited script) will be due on the Wednesday/Thursday after Thanksgiving. Remember to keep all the work that you do--including brainstorming, notes on research, etc. That will be turned in

Friday:
Lucky you, you get the day off! Have some fun--that's an order!

Agenda for the Week of November 8 – November 12, 2010

 

Monday/Tuesday:

 

1.      We will begin with a reading quiz on the Aristide Tessitore’s essay, “Euripides’ ‘Medea’ and the Problem of Spiritedness.”

2.      Students will be broken into the following three groups for an upcoming assignment:

a.      Pp. 435-441 (ending before Kreon enters). The following characters appear here:  At Two boys (sons of Jason and Medea), Chorus of Corinthian Women, Medea, Nurse, Tutor

b.      Pp. 441 (starting with Kreon and attendants entering)-448 (Jason exits). The following characters appear here: Chorus of Corinthian Women, Jason (and attendants), Kreon (and attendants), and Medea

c.       Pp. 448 (starting with the entrance of Aigeus)-456 (ends with Jason going out with his attendants followed by the Tutor and the children carrying the poisoned gifts). The following characters are needed: Aiteus, Two boys, Chorus, Jason (and attendants), Medea, Tutor

d.      Pp. 456 (beginning with the Chorus on line 952)-end of the play. Characters: Two boys, Chorus, Jason, Kreon & Princess, Medea, Messenger, Tutor, Dragons?

3.      After breaking into groups, you will begin brainstorming. The story is to take place in either the 20^th or the 21^st Century. Your movie will parody both the play and “Sunset Boulevard.” Consider who will play roles, what costumes you will use, and what props will be needed. You must also include at least one “Monty Pythonism.”  Also, take into account Tessitore’s perspective about Medea as a warrior.

4.      Among the “jobs” assigned to various members of your group will be the following:

a.      Costume designer (consider Edith Head’s use of animal prints and black and white patterns, lace, pointed gloves, etc. You may use some of my supplies—in class or on school grounds only. You may use clothing found in your attic.  Props.

b.      Set designer. This does not necessarily mean that you need anything fancy or expensive; consider using blankets, throw pillows, accessories, and lighting. Location, location, location.

c.       Screenplay Writer(s).

d.      Director.

e.      Cinematographer.

f.        Actors.

g.      Film editor(s).

 

I have yet to make a rubric for this assignment. I want to see how things go for the first day and adjust my plans as necessary.  I welcome your suggestions about evaluation and process too. This is the first time I have done this assignment. It will probably involve more than one test grade—just for the project. Generally, I like to give credit for process (steps leading up to the finished product) as well as the finished product. I am not sure how to assess this, however.

 

You will also be writing a comparison/contrast essay on “Medea” and “Sunset Boulevard”—but that will not happen until after the presentation has been completed. I will determine a deadline by the end of this week, taking into account my observations and your input.

 

Homework: Start gathering your “stuff” for your film.

 

Wednesday/Thursday:

 

Bring in costumes, props, etc.  Get in groups and continue to work on project. I will see if I can get us into a computer lab either this week or next week.

 

Homework: Complete the exercises for Vocabulary G—lesson 7.

 

Friday:

I will check your vocabulary homework. We will go over it and you will receive “clues” about what might be on the next test.