Sunday, August 11, 2019
“Once a journey is designed, equipped, and put in process, a new factor enters and takes over. A trip, a safari, an exploration, is an entity, different from all other journeys. It has personality, temperament, individuality, uniqueness. A journey is a person in itself; no two are alike. And all plans, safeguards, policing, and coercion are fruitless. We find after years of struggle that we do not take a trip; a trip takes us. Tour masters, schedules, reservations, brass-bound and inevitable, dash themselves to wreckage on the personality of the trip. Only when this is recognized can the blown-in-the glass bum relax and go along with it. Only then do the frustrations fall away. In this a journey is like marriage. The certain way to be wrong is to think you control it.” - John Steinbeck
Friday, May 17, 2019
Next year's 11 AP English:
Gatewood
First read: The Things They Carried, by Tim O'Brien
Class Website
Twitter: @gwoodEDU
Cline
email socline@smsd.org for updates
Update from counseling regarding schedules for next year:
Schedule Changes are VERY UNLIKELY if they have changed their mind or want a specific teacher or hour.
Schedule Changes are LIKELY if there is an error, graduation requirements are missing, or a teacher has or has changed a recommendation for the student.
Counselors will be taking requests for changes between July 22nd – Aug 2nd.
Gatewood
First read: The Things They Carried, by Tim O'Brien
Class Website
Twitter: @gwoodEDU
Cline
email socline@smsd.org for updates
Update from counseling regarding schedules for next year:
Schedule Changes are VERY UNLIKELY if they have changed their mind or want a specific teacher or hour.
Schedule Changes are LIKELY if there is an error, graduation requirements are missing, or a teacher has or has changed a recommendation for the student.
Counselors will be taking requests for changes between July 22nd – Aug 2nd.
Tuesday, May 14, 2019
If you are missing an assignment, it is your responsibility to make it up. As has been stated multiple times over an extended period, please do so by Friday or it will remain a 0 permanently, unless special arrangements are made for Monday.
Contact me to schedule if needed; it can be made up during class time Wed/Thu/Fri/*Mon.
What we need to do is always lean into the future; when the world changes around you and when it changes against you - what used to be a tail wind is now a head wind - you have to lean into that and figure out what to do because complaining isn't a strategy.
Contact me to schedule if needed; it can be made up during class time Wed/Thu/Fri/*Mon.
What we need to do is always lean into the future; when the world changes around you and when it changes against you - what used to be a tail wind is now a head wind - you have to lean into that and figure out what to do because complaining isn't a strategy.
- Jeff Bezos
Monday, May 13, 2019
If you missed class today (Monday, May 13) make sure you check in with someone who was here so you can get the finals questions. We went over 35 of the 50 in class, questions only (not the possible answers though) so you know what direction the test is headed. We've talked all year about isolating essential information; this is your final chance to do so.
Tuesday, May 7, 2019
Hello
Shooting Rats at the Bibb County Dump
by David Bottoms
Loaded on beer and whiskey, we ride
to the dump in carloads
to turn our headlights across the wasted field,
freeze the startled eyes of rats against mounds of rubbish.
Shot in the head, they jump only once, lie still
like dead beer cans.
Shot in the gut or rump, they writhe and try to burrow
into garbage, hide in old truck tires,
rusty oil drums, cardboard boxes scattered across the mounds,
or else drag themselves on forelegs across our beams of light
toward the darkness at the edge of the dump.
It's the light they believe kills.
We drink and load again, let them crawl
for all they're worth into the darkness we're headed for.
Sonnet 8 [Set me where as the sun doth parch the green]
by Petrarch -translated by Henry Howard
Set me where as the sun doth parch the green,
Or where his beams do not dissolve the ice;
In temperate heat where he is felt and seen;
With proud people, in presence sad and wise;
Set me in base, or yet in high degree,
In the long night, or in the shortest day,
In clear weather, or where mists thickest be,
In lost youth, or when my hairs be grey;
Set me in earth, in heaven, or yet in hell,
In hill, in dale, or in the foaming flood;
Thrall, or at large, alive where so I dwell,
Sick, or in health, in ill fame or good:
Yours will I be, and with that only thought
Comfort myself when that my hope is nought.
Naomi Shihab Nye, "The Cookies."
On Union Boulevard, St. Louis, in the 1950's, there were women in their eighties who lived with the shades drawn, who hid like bats in the caves they claimed for home. Neighbors of my grandmother, they could be faintly heard through a ceiling or wall. A drawer opening. The slow thump of a shoe. Who they were and whom they were mourning (someone had always just died) intrigued me. Me, the child who knew where the cookies waited in Grandma's kitchen closet. Who lined five varieties up on the table and bit from each one in succession, knowing my mother would never let me do this at home. Who sold Girl Scout cookies door-to-door in annual tradition, who sold fifty boxes, who won The Prize. My grandmother told me which doors to knock on. Whispered secretly, "She'll take three boxes—wait and see."
Hand-in-hand we climbed the dark stairs, knocked on the doors. I shivered, held Grandma tighter, remember still the smell which was curiously fragrant, a sweet soup of talcum powder, folded curtains, roses pressed in a book. Was that what years smelled like? The door would miraculously open and a withered face framed there would peer oddly at me as if I had come from another world. Maybe I had. "Come in," it would say, or "Yes?" and I would mumble something about cookies, feeling foolish, feeling like the one who places a can of beans next to an altar marked For the Poor and then has to stare at it—the beans next to the cross—all through the worship. Feeling I should have brought more, as if I shouldn't be selling something to these women, but giving them a gift, some new breath, assurance that there was still a child's world out there, green grass, scabby knees, a playground where you could stretch your legs higher than your head. There were still Easter eggs lodged in the mouths of drainpipes and sleds on frozen hills, that joyous scream of flying toward yourself in the snow. Squirrels storing nuts, kittens being born with eyes closed; there was still everything tiny, unformed, flung wide open into the air!
But how did you carry such an assurance? In those hallways, standing before those thin gray wisps of women, with Grandma slinking back and pushing me forward to go in alone, I didn't know. There was something here which also smelled like life. But it was a life I hadn't learned yet. I had never outlived anything I knew of, except one yellow cat. I never had saved a photograph. For me life was a bounce, an unending burst of pleasures. Vaguely I imagined what a life of recollection could be, as already I was haunted by a sense of my own lost baby years, golden rings I slipped on and off my heart. Would I be one of those women?
Their rooms were shrines of upholstery and lace. Silent radios standing under stacks of magazines. Did they work? Could I turn the knobs? Questions I wouldn't ask here. Windows with shades pulled low, so the light peeping through took on a changed quality, as if it were brighter or dimmer than I remembered. And portraits, photographs, on walls, on tables, faces strangely familiar, as if I was destined to know them. I asked no questions and the women never questioned me. Never asked where the money went, had the price gone up since last year, were there any additional flavors. They bought what they remembered—if it was peanut-butter last year, peanut-butter this year would be fine. They brought the coins from jars, from pocketbooks without handles, counted them carefully before me, while I stared at their thin crops of knotted hair. A Sunday brooch pinned loosely to the shoulder of an everyday dress. What were these women thinking of?
And the door would close softly behind me, transaction complete, the closing click like a drawer sliding back, a world slid quietly out of sight, and I was free to return to my own universe, to Grandma standing with arms folded in the courtyard, staring peacefully up at a bluejay or sprouting leaf. Suddenly I'd see Grandma in her dress of tiny flowers, curly gray permanent, tightly laced shoes, as one of them—but then she'd turn, laugh, "Did she buy?" and again belong to me.
Gray women in rooms with the shades drawn . . . weeks later the cookies would come. I would stack the boxes, make my delivery rounds to the sleeping doors. This time I would be businesslike, I would rap firmly, "Hello Ma'am, here are the cookies you ordered." And the face would peer up, uncertain . . . cookies? . . . as if for a moment we were floating in the space between us. What I did (carefully balancing boxes in both my arms, wondering who would eat the cookies—I was the only child ever seen in that building) or what she did (reaching out with floating hands to touch what she had bought) had little to do with who we were, had been, or ever would be.
Because I could not stop for Death,
He kindly stopped for me;
The carriage held but just ourselves
And Immortality.
We slowly drove, he knew no haste,
And I had put away
My labor, and my leisure too,
For his civility.
We passed the school, where children strove
At recess, in the ring;
We passed the fields of gazing grain,
We passed the setting sun.
Or rather, he passed us;
The dews grew quivering and chill,
For only gossamer my gown,
My tippet only tulle.
We paused before house that seemed
A swelling of the ground;
The roof was scarcely visible,
The cornice but a mound.
Since then 'tis centuries, and yet each
Feels shorter than the day
I first surmised the horses' heads
Were toward eternity.
Emily Dickinson
Hot Dads + Everyone Else! Thank You! - w4m - 45 (Cobble Hill/Park Slope)
Date: 2012-09-04, 9:11PM EDT
I walk the streets of our fine neighborhoods and every day I am totally floored by the very fine manhood that is out there. Maybe it's hormone surges that are keeping my eyes wandering but I would like to give a big shout out to all the hot dads, youngish hipster dudes, guys with dogs, guys on bikes, guys drinking beer, guys walking down the street, pushing ridiculously expensive strollers, sitting in open windows, swimming/working out at the Y, drinking fair trade coffee, waiting for the F train and just living -- you are such an amazing and welcome embellishment to this already great neighborhood and I cannot stop appreciating you.
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you for being fit, young or not, fashionable, good looking, friendly and well-groomed eye candy. I don't want to objectify you because so many of you seem intellectual, even if you're not actually but, I love seeing your taut skin or scruffy beards, when you stand there stroking/scratching your tight stomach (the muscular V makes me swoon) with your unironic t-shirt slightly hiked up while you chat, straddling your fixed gear bike. I have to stop myself from reaching out to touch you sometimes.
And, to those few of you who actually look me in the face and smile when you catch me checking you out -- extra special thanks for looking past the wedding ring, the kid, the dog, the bag full of crap, the harried look, the signs of having worshipped the sun unwisely in my youth and the jiggly arms/thighs/gut. You make me feel like a goddess! Oh how I wish one of you would speak to me one day to say something more meaningful than "Caramel Macchiato for ______." Take the chance and say hello. You never know.
Shooting Rats at the Bibb County Dump
by David Bottoms
Loaded on beer and whiskey, we ride
to the dump in carloads
to turn our headlights across the wasted field,
freeze the startled eyes of rats against mounds of rubbish.
Shot in the head, they jump only once, lie still
like dead beer cans.
Shot in the gut or rump, they writhe and try to burrow
into garbage, hide in old truck tires,
rusty oil drums, cardboard boxes scattered across the mounds,
or else drag themselves on forelegs across our beams of light
toward the darkness at the edge of the dump.
It's the light they believe kills.
We drink and load again, let them crawl
for all they're worth into the darkness we're headed for.
Sonnet 8 [Set me where as the sun doth parch the green]
by Petrarch -translated by Henry Howard
Set me where as the sun doth parch the green,
Or where his beams do not dissolve the ice;
In temperate heat where he is felt and seen;
With proud people, in presence sad and wise;
Set me in base, or yet in high degree,
In the long night, or in the shortest day,
In clear weather, or where mists thickest be,
In lost youth, or when my hairs be grey;
Set me in earth, in heaven, or yet in hell,
In hill, in dale, or in the foaming flood;
Thrall, or at large, alive where so I dwell,
Sick, or in health, in ill fame or good:
Yours will I be, and with that only thought
Comfort myself when that my hope is nought.
Naomi Shihab Nye, "The Cookies."
On Union Boulevard, St. Louis, in the 1950's, there were women in their eighties who lived with the shades drawn, who hid like bats in the caves they claimed for home. Neighbors of my grandmother, they could be faintly heard through a ceiling or wall. A drawer opening. The slow thump of a shoe. Who they were and whom they were mourning (someone had always just died) intrigued me. Me, the child who knew where the cookies waited in Grandma's kitchen closet. Who lined five varieties up on the table and bit from each one in succession, knowing my mother would never let me do this at home. Who sold Girl Scout cookies door-to-door in annual tradition, who sold fifty boxes, who won The Prize. My grandmother told me which doors to knock on. Whispered secretly, "She'll take three boxes—wait and see."
Hand-in-hand we climbed the dark stairs, knocked on the doors. I shivered, held Grandma tighter, remember still the smell which was curiously fragrant, a sweet soup of talcum powder, folded curtains, roses pressed in a book. Was that what years smelled like? The door would miraculously open and a withered face framed there would peer oddly at me as if I had come from another world. Maybe I had. "Come in," it would say, or "Yes?" and I would mumble something about cookies, feeling foolish, feeling like the one who places a can of beans next to an altar marked For the Poor and then has to stare at it—the beans next to the cross—all through the worship. Feeling I should have brought more, as if I shouldn't be selling something to these women, but giving them a gift, some new breath, assurance that there was still a child's world out there, green grass, scabby knees, a playground where you could stretch your legs higher than your head. There were still Easter eggs lodged in the mouths of drainpipes and sleds on frozen hills, that joyous scream of flying toward yourself in the snow. Squirrels storing nuts, kittens being born with eyes closed; there was still everything tiny, unformed, flung wide open into the air!
But how did you carry such an assurance? In those hallways, standing before those thin gray wisps of women, with Grandma slinking back and pushing me forward to go in alone, I didn't know. There was something here which also smelled like life. But it was a life I hadn't learned yet. I had never outlived anything I knew of, except one yellow cat. I never had saved a photograph. For me life was a bounce, an unending burst of pleasures. Vaguely I imagined what a life of recollection could be, as already I was haunted by a sense of my own lost baby years, golden rings I slipped on and off my heart. Would I be one of those women?
Their rooms were shrines of upholstery and lace. Silent radios standing under stacks of magazines. Did they work? Could I turn the knobs? Questions I wouldn't ask here. Windows with shades pulled low, so the light peeping through took on a changed quality, as if it were brighter or dimmer than I remembered. And portraits, photographs, on walls, on tables, faces strangely familiar, as if I was destined to know them. I asked no questions and the women never questioned me. Never asked where the money went, had the price gone up since last year, were there any additional flavors. They bought what they remembered—if it was peanut-butter last year, peanut-butter this year would be fine. They brought the coins from jars, from pocketbooks without handles, counted them carefully before me, while I stared at their thin crops of knotted hair. A Sunday brooch pinned loosely to the shoulder of an everyday dress. What were these women thinking of?
And the door would close softly behind me, transaction complete, the closing click like a drawer sliding back, a world slid quietly out of sight, and I was free to return to my own universe, to Grandma standing with arms folded in the courtyard, staring peacefully up at a bluejay or sprouting leaf. Suddenly I'd see Grandma in her dress of tiny flowers, curly gray permanent, tightly laced shoes, as one of them—but then she'd turn, laugh, "Did she buy?" and again belong to me.
Gray women in rooms with the shades drawn . . . weeks later the cookies would come. I would stack the boxes, make my delivery rounds to the sleeping doors. This time I would be businesslike, I would rap firmly, "Hello Ma'am, here are the cookies you ordered." And the face would peer up, uncertain . . . cookies? . . . as if for a moment we were floating in the space between us. What I did (carefully balancing boxes in both my arms, wondering who would eat the cookies—I was the only child ever seen in that building) or what she did (reaching out with floating hands to touch what she had bought) had little to do with who we were, had been, or ever would be.
Because I could not stop for Death,
He kindly stopped for me;
The carriage held but just ourselves
And Immortality.
We slowly drove, he knew no haste,
And I had put away
My labor, and my leisure too,
For his civility.
We passed the school, where children strove
At recess, in the ring;
We passed the fields of gazing grain,
We passed the setting sun.
Or rather, he passed us;
The dews grew quivering and chill,
For only gossamer my gown,
My tippet only tulle.
We paused before house that seemed
A swelling of the ground;
The roof was scarcely visible,
The cornice but a mound.
Since then 'tis centuries, and yet each
Feels shorter than the day
I first surmised the horses' heads
Were toward eternity.
Emily Dickinson
Hot Dads + Everyone Else! Thank You! - w4m - 45 (Cobble Hill/Park Slope)
Date: 2012-09-04, 9:11PM EDT
I walk the streets of our fine neighborhoods and every day I am totally floored by the very fine manhood that is out there. Maybe it's hormone surges that are keeping my eyes wandering but I would like to give a big shout out to all the hot dads, youngish hipster dudes, guys with dogs, guys on bikes, guys drinking beer, guys walking down the street, pushing ridiculously expensive strollers, sitting in open windows, swimming/working out at the Y, drinking fair trade coffee, waiting for the F train and just living -- you are such an amazing and welcome embellishment to this already great neighborhood and I cannot stop appreciating you.
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you for being fit, young or not, fashionable, good looking, friendly and well-groomed eye candy. I don't want to objectify you because so many of you seem intellectual, even if you're not actually but, I love seeing your taut skin or scruffy beards, when you stand there stroking/scratching your tight stomach (the muscular V makes me swoon) with your unironic t-shirt slightly hiked up while you chat, straddling your fixed gear bike. I have to stop myself from reaching out to touch you sometimes.
And, to those few of you who actually look me in the face and smile when you catch me checking you out -- extra special thanks for looking past the wedding ring, the kid, the dog, the bag full of crap, the harried look, the signs of having worshipped the sun unwisely in my youth and the jiggly arms/thighs/gut. You make me feel like a goddess! Oh how I wish one of you would speak to me one day to say something more meaningful than "Caramel Macchiato for ______." Take the chance and say hello. You never know.
Tuesday, April 30, 2019
Tuesday, April 23, 2019
Fast Food Nation
At the end of every chapter/section, pay close attention to the "lesson" aspect of how it concludes.
What central point/focus is being referenced in all examples?
How does sequence of FFN, especially early on, set the stage for the Controlling Idea (CI) and focal concepts?
How does the "food industry" reflect, or react to, the culture around it? Is it a product of its environment, or is it the environment itself and the things around it react to the food industry?
Pay attention to word choice for important aspects that the author studies. He makes a point of talking directly about it, so it's not a secret or anything subversive he's trying to influence us with clandestine references, but words like "industry" for instance have a very significant presence in the book.
I would highly recommend looking into the following:
-"Food Inc." is the documentary film version of this book. It's not a full retelling, but is narrated by the author and incorporates sections from the book into the film.
-"The Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan. Deals specifically with the process of how a food becomes a food, whether through nature, farming, science, etc.
At the end of every chapter/section, pay close attention to the "lesson" aspect of how it concludes.
What central point/focus is being referenced in all examples?
How does sequence of FFN, especially early on, set the stage for the Controlling Idea (CI) and focal concepts?
How does the "food industry" reflect, or react to, the culture around it? Is it a product of its environment, or is it the environment itself and the things around it react to the food industry?
Pay attention to word choice for important aspects that the author studies. He makes a point of talking directly about it, so it's not a secret or anything subversive he's trying to influence us with clandestine references, but words like "industry" for instance have a very significant presence in the book.
I would highly recommend looking into the following:
-"Food Inc." is the documentary film version of this book. It's not a full retelling, but is narrated by the author and incorporates sections from the book into the film.
-"The Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan. Deals specifically with the process of how a food becomes a food, whether through nature, farming, science, etc.
Lord of the Flies
Lord of the Flies: Guiding questions/points Ch. 1-2
What are some of the differences we know right away between Ralph and Piggy? Don’t limit your answers to appearance and personality. How will these differences shape their roles on the island? How do these traits transfer to “civilized” life?
Who is Jack and who are the boys with him? What is very apparent about Jack right away? While it may be kept in check by the expectations and natural social balances of “normal” life, think about how a situation with no social/legal “infrastructure” would be affected by someone like Jack.
What characters can we already guess are going to have a conflict? What will the conflict involve?
What happens when the explorers find the wild pig in the woods? What is the significance of the outcome?
How do the personality traits of Jack, Ralph and Piggy affect their interactions with each other, with the other boys and with their environment? (Pg. 33 and 38)
On pg. 40, the first real “disregard” for rules/norms takes place with Piggy’s glasses. What does it lead to, and what does it set the stage for regarding the rest of the book?
After the fire, a boy has gone missing, but what happened to him is left fairly ambiguous by Golding. Why is this done, and what ramifications does it have for future decisions made on the island?
Lord of the Flies
Ch. 3-4 Study Guide
What is the struggle between Ralph(shelter building) and Jack(hunting) symbolic of?
What is the true importance of the shelters? Why is this so important?
Why is Jack so obsessed with killing a pig? What will it mean for him?
Where does Simon fit into the society? What is his role and what does he represent? (Find the part where he walks off into the jungle)
When Jack describes what it is like to be out in the jungle by himself, what is he basically admitting?
What are some of the signs of a breakdown in civilization? (Up to and including Ch. 4)
What does this breakdown mean for the characters who are involved?
What is the symbolism behind Piggy’s glasses being stolen and broken?
What do Roger and Henry have in common? What does Golding think about the presence of evil in human beings?
Ralph vs. Jack (where is their relationship?)
LOF Guiding Points for Ch. 5-6
Looking back to the beginning of the novel, what is the relationship dynamic between characters now? How does this evolution fit Golding's theory about people vs. systems?
Jack/Ralph
Piggy/Jack
Simon/Everyone
Jack/Everyone
Ralph/Everyone
After 6 chapters and the evolution that Golding has illustrated through them, what appears to be the biggest threat/danger on the island? What literary techniques does Golding use to illustrate this?
Why does Ralph have to agree to go hunting for the beast with Jack even though we all know there is probably no physical beast? What unusual occurrence takes place between Jack and Ralph on this hunting trip? What symbolic elements are illustrated?
How would you describe “The Beast” using terms and words that are not visual-based?
As the island society slowly deteriorates, the two potential leaders remain. What positive character elements do Jack and Ralph still retain? What powers has Golding created that are working against them at this point?
Look for symbolic "signs" that the memory of what it means to be "civilized" is fading for the boys. What narrative techniques does Golding use to show this?
What is the symbolism behind Piggy’s glasses being stolen and broken?
What do Roger and Henry have in common? What does the scene on the beach have to do, metaphorically, with Golding's views on mankind's flaws?
Ch. 7-10
1. When Ralph and Jack see the “beast” on top of the mountain, why does Ralph say it “squats by the fire?”
2. When Simon says “I think we ought to climb the mountain” in Ch. 8, what does this foreshadow (be specific)?
3. What does Piggy’s suggestion that they move the fire down to the beach show about the boys in regard to the presence of the beast?
4. If Jack and the beast have the most in common due to their total reliance on the boys’ fears and insecurities, which boy has the most in common with the LOF itself and why?
5. Write the original chant. Write it as it has changed in Ch. 9.
6. With Simon’s death, human life has been taken. However, one could argue that it was done in the heat of the moment and was an accident. What is the next logical step for the author in the deterioration of civilization?
7. When the hunters raid the camp, what do they take and why?
8. What does Piggy think they wanted to take and why?
9. What prophecy from the LOF(pig’s head on a stick) has come true?
10. What aspect of human nature would Golding and Stephen King say is definitely present by the end of Ch. 10?
Ch.11
Pg. 169: Piggy’s blindness and what it symbolizes.
Pg. 171: Piggy’s rant about what is happening. The acknowledgement of death and his last ditch effort at preserving civilized morality
Pg. 180-181: What it represents both immediately to the boys and in the arc of violence that has taken place over the course of the story.
Pg. 182: How have the characters, and the group, come full circle in relation to Golding’s point about human nature?
Ch. 12
-Why is Jack safe in the knowledge that he will never really have to face consequences for any deaths, even the hunt and murder of Ralph, on the island?
-The big hunt and Ralph’s transition from bystander, to hunter, to prey
-The irony of the island fire. Jack’s role as savior/hero in that he gets them rescued, and he uses Ralph’s method to do it while trying to kill Ralph.
-The irony of who rescues them and what he says to them (last pages).
Lord of the Flies: Guiding questions/points Ch. 1-2
What are some of the differences we know right away between Ralph and Piggy? Don’t limit your answers to appearance and personality. How will these differences shape their roles on the island? How do these traits transfer to “civilized” life?
Who is Jack and who are the boys with him? What is very apparent about Jack right away? While it may be kept in check by the expectations and natural social balances of “normal” life, think about how a situation with no social/legal “infrastructure” would be affected by someone like Jack.
What characters can we already guess are going to have a conflict? What will the conflict involve?
What happens when the explorers find the wild pig in the woods? What is the significance of the outcome?
How do the personality traits of Jack, Ralph and Piggy affect their interactions with each other, with the other boys and with their environment? (Pg. 33 and 38)
On pg. 40, the first real “disregard” for rules/norms takes place with Piggy’s glasses. What does it lead to, and what does it set the stage for regarding the rest of the book?
After the fire, a boy has gone missing, but what happened to him is left fairly ambiguous by Golding. Why is this done, and what ramifications does it have for future decisions made on the island?
Lord of the Flies
Ch. 3-4 Study Guide
What is the struggle between Ralph(shelter building) and Jack(hunting) symbolic of?
What is the true importance of the shelters? Why is this so important?
Why is Jack so obsessed with killing a pig? What will it mean for him?
Where does Simon fit into the society? What is his role and what does he represent? (Find the part where he walks off into the jungle)
When Jack describes what it is like to be out in the jungle by himself, what is he basically admitting?
What are some of the signs of a breakdown in civilization? (Up to and including Ch. 4)
What does this breakdown mean for the characters who are involved?
What is the symbolism behind Piggy’s glasses being stolen and broken?
What do Roger and Henry have in common? What does Golding think about the presence of evil in human beings?
Ralph vs. Jack (where is their relationship?)
LOF Guiding Points for Ch. 5-6
Looking back to the beginning of the novel, what is the relationship dynamic between characters now? How does this evolution fit Golding's theory about people vs. systems?
Jack/Ralph
Piggy/Jack
Simon/Everyone
Jack/Everyone
Ralph/Everyone
After 6 chapters and the evolution that Golding has illustrated through them, what appears to be the biggest threat/danger on the island? What literary techniques does Golding use to illustrate this?
Why does Ralph have to agree to go hunting for the beast with Jack even though we all know there is probably no physical beast? What unusual occurrence takes place between Jack and Ralph on this hunting trip? What symbolic elements are illustrated?
How would you describe “The Beast” using terms and words that are not visual-based?
As the island society slowly deteriorates, the two potential leaders remain. What positive character elements do Jack and Ralph still retain? What powers has Golding created that are working against them at this point?
Look for symbolic "signs" that the memory of what it means to be "civilized" is fading for the boys. What narrative techniques does Golding use to show this?
What is the symbolism behind Piggy’s glasses being stolen and broken?
What do Roger and Henry have in common? What does the scene on the beach have to do, metaphorically, with Golding's views on mankind's flaws?
Ch. 7-10
1. When Ralph and Jack see the “beast” on top of the mountain, why does Ralph say it “squats by the fire?”
2. When Simon says “I think we ought to climb the mountain” in Ch. 8, what does this foreshadow (be specific)?
3. What does Piggy’s suggestion that they move the fire down to the beach show about the boys in regard to the presence of the beast?
4. If Jack and the beast have the most in common due to their total reliance on the boys’ fears and insecurities, which boy has the most in common with the LOF itself and why?
5. Write the original chant. Write it as it has changed in Ch. 9.
6. With Simon’s death, human life has been taken. However, one could argue that it was done in the heat of the moment and was an accident. What is the next logical step for the author in the deterioration of civilization?
7. When the hunters raid the camp, what do they take and why?
8. What does Piggy think they wanted to take and why?
9. What prophecy from the LOF(pig’s head on a stick) has come true?
10. What aspect of human nature would Golding and Stephen King say is definitely present by the end of Ch. 10?
Ch.11
Pg. 169: Piggy’s blindness and what it symbolizes.
Pg. 171: Piggy’s rant about what is happening. The acknowledgement of death and his last ditch effort at preserving civilized morality
Pg. 180-181: What it represents both immediately to the boys and in the arc of violence that has taken place over the course of the story.
Pg. 182: How have the characters, and the group, come full circle in relation to Golding’s point about human nature?
Ch. 12
-Why is Jack safe in the knowledge that he will never really have to face consequences for any deaths, even the hunt and murder of Ralph, on the island?
-The big hunt and Ralph’s transition from bystander, to hunter, to prey
-The irony of the island fire. Jack’s role as savior/hero in that he gets them rescued, and he uses Ralph’s method to do it while trying to kill Ralph.
-The irony of who rescues them and what he says to them (last pages).
Slaughterhouse 5
Slaughterhouse-5
Guiding Questions: Chapter 1
-In the first chapter, the book blurs the line between fiction and non-fiction. The author never gives his name, and we do not know just how real of an account this is. Why is this style important to the ambiguous nature of the opening chapter?
-The author uses a version of a style known as “stream of consciousness” in his narration which basically means writing the way we think. Random thoughts pop into our heads, etc. We see this in his repetition of the Yon Yonson song and some of the other stories he tells. How does this style mirror the narrator’s admissions about how and when he thinks about war?
-The Dresden firebombing killed thousands of people. The narrator professes little difficulty in describing the death of the man who is crushed by the elevator. Symbollically, what does this gap represent? Think about it in regard to number of people, time, age/experience, etc.
-What is the significance of O’hare’s wife’s rant about the men just being babies during the war? What is her point? Juxtapose your own mental image of war on film vs. war in reality.
Slaughterhouse-Five
Ch. 2
-Explain the literal explanation of the Tralfamadorian view on life and death. How does Vonnegut justify their views and how do these views affect how their believers address grief?
-Describe Roland Weary physically, mentally, and emotionally. What kind of person is he? Why is he in the Army? What is his job in the Army and why do you think he has it? What does he hate more than anything? Juxtapose his view of their situation in Ch. 2 with that of Billy and the Scouts.
-What explanation can you give for Billy’s becoming unstuck in time? Why do people, in general, choose to reflect and remember things about their lives at certain times? How does choice, or a lack of choice, affect memory?
-At the very end of the chapter, Roland Weary and Billy Pilgrim have an incident. Describe what happens and the irony in Roland Weary’s statement to Billy when he says “You shouldn’t even be in the Army!” What implied message/question does Vonnegut insert into this statement by omission?
Think about how you would finish each of the following statements:
War is...
War is fought by...
War is fought because…
Slaughterhouse-Five
Chapter 3 Study guide
-At the very beginning of Ch. 3, there are descriptions of a German Shepherd, a 15 year old boy, and Adam and Eve. What common link do all 3 of these things share? What could Vonnegut’s point be?
-No matter what time Billy is in, what keeps going on around him? What do you make of the description of daily events in the 1960’s compared to the description of events during the war, and of death? Does Billy’s demeanor ever really seem to change? Does he have emotions?
-What is the point of the former hobo that Billy meets on the prison train? What does his message about their present circumstances have to do with life?
-Pay specific attention to the way things are described. Why does Vonnegut exclude any emotion or feeling, no matter what he is describing? How is Billy’s life, and Vonnegut’s view on war and life, reflected in his writing style? How are these things illustrated by the prayer on the wall of Billy’s office?
Ch. 4
The Tralfamadorians:
Explain the Tralfamadorian concept that we are all like insects that are trapped in amber.
Why does Vonnegut include “so it goes” after the sentence about the American prisoners’ clothing passing through poison gas?
The Tralfamadorians answer Billy’s question “Why me” this way: “There is no why, there simply is.” What does this mean? What is the “is” in the statement and how does it apply to life according to Vonnegut? What about war?
Ch. 5 Study Guide
Explain the Tralfamadorian views of humans and stars that is described in the first paragraph of Chapter 5. What is the significance of this view?
Why does Vonnegut keep referring to Edgar Derby as doomed and referencing the fact that he will be shot and killed by a firing squad?
Vonnegut seems to be in awe of the English officers at the prison camp. Is he really, and are we supposed to be? Explain your opinion and cite specific passages that support or refute this claim.
What does the relationship between the German captors, the English officers, and the American enlisted men resemble in everyday, non-war life? What does this relationship say about war?
What is the irony in the fact that the British officers are using soap and candles made from the fat of Jews who have been slaughtered? How does this relate to our perception of the officers?
Who is Kilgore Trout? What is his purpose in Slaughterhouse Five? Pay special attention to the title and subject of the first book of his that is described, Maniacs in the Fourth Dimension. Why is it important that his ideas are good, but he cannot write well?
Explain the Tralfamadorian zoo guide’s explanation for the way Earthlings see life.
Explain the passages from the German Ministry of Propaganda. Why is Vonnegut slamming America so hard in these passages?
Who/what is the purpose of Rosewater?
Ch. 6 Study Guide
Explain the reasoning/significance behind Lazzaro’s attitude toward revenge? Why isn’t he happy when Dresden is bombed?
Explain the symbolism of the place the American prisoners are taken to live when they reach Dresden. What does the description say about the spirits of the men?
The German guards in Dresden were expecting tall, cocky, murderous American infantrymen when the train pulled up. What did they get?
Why do the Englishmen insist that the Americans elect a leader? Why do the Americans not seem to care?
Study Guide Ch. 7
Explain the Tralfamadorian view that all humans are machines. Do you agree or disagree? Support your claim. (Think about the definition of a machine)
On pg. 157, it says that while he was unconscious, “Billy dreamed millions of things, some of them true. The true things were time travel.” What hint at an explanation could this be for Billy’s time travel and for refuting the idea that he is crazy?
What is the best explanation for a real version of “time travel” that we all do?
Why does Edgar Derby burst into tears after eating some of the malt syrup?
This chapter is filled with lots of choppy time jumps in which we see snapshots of Billy’s life. What does this view of his life approximate, or resemble?
Slaughterhouse-5
Guiding Questions: Chapter 1
-In the first chapter, the book blurs the line between fiction and non-fiction. The author never gives his name, and we do not know just how real of an account this is. Why is this style important to the ambiguous nature of the opening chapter?
-The author uses a version of a style known as “stream of consciousness” in his narration which basically means writing the way we think. Random thoughts pop into our heads, etc. We see this in his repetition of the Yon Yonson song and some of the other stories he tells. How does this style mirror the narrator’s admissions about how and when he thinks about war?
-The Dresden firebombing killed thousands of people. The narrator professes little difficulty in describing the death of the man who is crushed by the elevator. Symbollically, what does this gap represent? Think about it in regard to number of people, time, age/experience, etc.
-What is the significance of O’hare’s wife’s rant about the men just being babies during the war? What is her point? Juxtapose your own mental image of war on film vs. war in reality.
Slaughterhouse-Five
Ch. 2
-Explain the literal explanation of the Tralfamadorian view on life and death. How does Vonnegut justify their views and how do these views affect how their believers address grief?
-Describe Roland Weary physically, mentally, and emotionally. What kind of person is he? Why is he in the Army? What is his job in the Army and why do you think he has it? What does he hate more than anything? Juxtapose his view of their situation in Ch. 2 with that of Billy and the Scouts.
-What explanation can you give for Billy’s becoming unstuck in time? Why do people, in general, choose to reflect and remember things about their lives at certain times? How does choice, or a lack of choice, affect memory?
-At the very end of the chapter, Roland Weary and Billy Pilgrim have an incident. Describe what happens and the irony in Roland Weary’s statement to Billy when he says “You shouldn’t even be in the Army!” What implied message/question does Vonnegut insert into this statement by omission?
Think about how you would finish each of the following statements:
War is...
War is fought by...
War is fought because…
Slaughterhouse-Five
Chapter 3 Study guide
-At the very beginning of Ch. 3, there are descriptions of a German Shepherd, a 15 year old boy, and Adam and Eve. What common link do all 3 of these things share? What could Vonnegut’s point be?
-No matter what time Billy is in, what keeps going on around him? What do you make of the description of daily events in the 1960’s compared to the description of events during the war, and of death? Does Billy’s demeanor ever really seem to change? Does he have emotions?
-What is the point of the former hobo that Billy meets on the prison train? What does his message about their present circumstances have to do with life?
-Pay specific attention to the way things are described. Why does Vonnegut exclude any emotion or feeling, no matter what he is describing? How is Billy’s life, and Vonnegut’s view on war and life, reflected in his writing style? How are these things illustrated by the prayer on the wall of Billy’s office?
Ch. 4
The Tralfamadorians:
Explain the Tralfamadorian concept that we are all like insects that are trapped in amber.
Why does Vonnegut include “so it goes” after the sentence about the American prisoners’ clothing passing through poison gas?
The Tralfamadorians answer Billy’s question “Why me” this way: “There is no why, there simply is.” What does this mean? What is the “is” in the statement and how does it apply to life according to Vonnegut? What about war?
Ch. 5 Study Guide
Explain the Tralfamadorian views of humans and stars that is described in the first paragraph of Chapter 5. What is the significance of this view?
Why does Vonnegut keep referring to Edgar Derby as doomed and referencing the fact that he will be shot and killed by a firing squad?
Vonnegut seems to be in awe of the English officers at the prison camp. Is he really, and are we supposed to be? Explain your opinion and cite specific passages that support or refute this claim.
What does the relationship between the German captors, the English officers, and the American enlisted men resemble in everyday, non-war life? What does this relationship say about war?
What is the irony in the fact that the British officers are using soap and candles made from the fat of Jews who have been slaughtered? How does this relate to our perception of the officers?
Who is Kilgore Trout? What is his purpose in Slaughterhouse Five? Pay special attention to the title and subject of the first book of his that is described, Maniacs in the Fourth Dimension. Why is it important that his ideas are good, but he cannot write well?
Explain the Tralfamadorian zoo guide’s explanation for the way Earthlings see life.
Explain the passages from the German Ministry of Propaganda. Why is Vonnegut slamming America so hard in these passages?
Who/what is the purpose of Rosewater?
Ch. 6 Study Guide
Explain the reasoning/significance behind Lazzaro’s attitude toward revenge? Why isn’t he happy when Dresden is bombed?
Explain the symbolism of the place the American prisoners are taken to live when they reach Dresden. What does the description say about the spirits of the men?
The German guards in Dresden were expecting tall, cocky, murderous American infantrymen when the train pulled up. What did they get?
Why do the Englishmen insist that the Americans elect a leader? Why do the Americans not seem to care?
Study Guide Ch. 7
Explain the Tralfamadorian view that all humans are machines. Do you agree or disagree? Support your claim. (Think about the definition of a machine)
On pg. 157, it says that while he was unconscious, “Billy dreamed millions of things, some of them true. The true things were time travel.” What hint at an explanation could this be for Billy’s time travel and for refuting the idea that he is crazy?
What is the best explanation for a real version of “time travel” that we all do?
Why does Edgar Derby burst into tears after eating some of the malt syrup?
This chapter is filled with lots of choppy time jumps in which we see snapshots of Billy’s life. What does this view of his life approximate, or resemble?
Tuesday, April 9, 2019
Sunday, April 7, 2019
Schedule update for honors:
Wordwright 4 will be Tuesday instead of Monday this week.
Vocab 10 words will come out on Wed/Thurs this week.
ELA 10:
Case study for Vocab this week is Case 11: Unauthorized Dumping. We mentioned it in class as the likely case, but this is confirmation, so you can read it using a packet or online.
Still no guarantee on book reinforcements, but highly recommend you grab a class copy during your hour when there is time. "Friends" and "Felicity" will always be on Netflix, but you don't have a ton of time left in here.
Wordwright 4 will be Tuesday instead of Monday this week.
Vocab 10 words will come out on Wed/Thurs this week.
ELA 10:
Case study for Vocab this week is Case 11: Unauthorized Dumping. We mentioned it in class as the likely case, but this is confirmation, so you can read it using a packet or online.
Still no guarantee on book reinforcements, but highly recommend you grab a class copy during your hour when there is time. "Friends" and "Felicity" will always be on Netflix, but you don't have a ton of time left in here.
Tuesday, April 2, 2019
Here is the grading rubric for your project. I will include notes as well.
Original Piece Choice: ________/10
Following directions: ________/20
-All design, written, and hand-in requirements fulfilled
-No banned practices (photoshop/digital editing, models beyond your group members, etc.) used
-Digital copies of original/replication, poem/questionnaire, and documentary shared with me
Presentation/Display:_________/30
-Required elements are organized and obvious thought and care has been put into their layout and execution
-Creativity, precision, style, and sophistication are all evident and well planned in both attempt and execution
-There is an obvious correlation between process photos and your recreation (Process photos illustrate elements of the recreation that enhance the understanding of how your project was achieved)
-Your presentation/display is a well-rounded, articulate representation of the scope of the entire project from your group’s perspective
Written material: _________/40
-Questionnaire – typed, numbered, thorough answers; quality of writing and thought is evident and well represented and is reflective of the expectations we have established regarding detail, depth, clarity, explanation, and formal academic voice.
-Poem- level of effort and seriousness is evident, required elements are met, a clear “story” is created with the artwork as the inspiration
- The tone/mood of the poem complements the tone/mood of the piece as interpreted by the group
Replication: __________/50
-Exactness of details
-Apparent effort/inventiveness
-Resourceful use of technical (lighting, props, editing, etc.) and artistic (makeup, costume, filters, etc.) elements
-Balance between faithful recreation and attention to detail (you don’t sacrifice the overall look of the recreation because you obsessed over one element)
-Overall appearance in regard to the original
-Balance of compromise between variables you had control over, and those you did not.
“Making of” documentary:__________/ 30
-The video must be 4-5 minutes in length, and must document the entire process of your replication project.
-The video must be edited/produced using editing software (imovie, etc.) that is compatible with your macbook and can easily be shown in class using Airplay. In other words, you must be able to sign on to airplay and show it yourself.
-While on camera (live in the moment) commentary is fine, this element of the project should not be a distraction to the overall goal. Your documentary must have a scripted voiceover narration. The sequencing of your script should reflect the structure of a well written paper.
-A combination of production structure/quality (voiceover, transitions, music/sound, etc.) and content ( organization of clips, insightful narration, introductory and concluding thoughts on the project, etc.) will be used to determine credit.
-The movie should highlight elements of your project that are not readily apparent from the viewing of the final product. This could include, but is not limited to: areas where you improvised, items that are not what they seem, difficulties, unique/innovative problem solving, sourcing of props/costumes/backgrounds, etc.
Original Piece Choice: ________/10
Following directions: ________/20
-All design, written, and hand-in requirements fulfilled
-No banned practices (photoshop/digital editing, models beyond your group members, etc.) used
-Digital copies of original/replication, poem/questionnaire, and documentary shared with me
Presentation/Display:_________/30
-Required elements are organized and obvious thought and care has been put into their layout and execution
-Creativity, precision, style, and sophistication are all evident and well planned in both attempt and execution
-There is an obvious correlation between process photos and your recreation (Process photos illustrate elements of the recreation that enhance the understanding of how your project was achieved)
-Your presentation/display is a well-rounded, articulate representation of the scope of the entire project from your group’s perspective
Written material: _________/40
-Questionnaire – typed, numbered, thorough answers; quality of writing and thought is evident and well represented and is reflective of the expectations we have established regarding detail, depth, clarity, explanation, and formal academic voice.
-Poem- level of effort and seriousness is evident, required elements are met, a clear “story” is created with the artwork as the inspiration
- The tone/mood of the poem complements the tone/mood of the piece as interpreted by the group
Replication: __________/50
-Exactness of details
-Apparent effort/inventiveness
-Resourceful use of technical (lighting, props, editing, etc.) and artistic (makeup, costume, filters, etc.) elements
-Balance between faithful recreation and attention to detail (you don’t sacrifice the overall look of the recreation because you obsessed over one element)
-Overall appearance in regard to the original
-Balance of compromise between variables you had control over, and those you did not.
“Making of” documentary:__________/ 30
-The video must be 4-5 minutes in length, and must document the entire process of your replication project.
-The video must be edited/produced using editing software (imovie, etc.) that is compatible with your macbook and can easily be shown in class using Airplay. In other words, you must be able to sign on to airplay and show it yourself.
-While on camera (live in the moment) commentary is fine, this element of the project should not be a distraction to the overall goal. Your documentary must have a scripted voiceover narration. The sequencing of your script should reflect the structure of a well written paper.
-A combination of production structure/quality (voiceover, transitions, music/sound, etc.) and content ( organization of clips, insightful narration, introductory and concluding thoughts on the project, etc.) will be used to determine credit.
-The movie should highlight elements of your project that are not readily apparent from the viewing of the final product. This could include, but is not limited to: areas where you improvised, items that are not what they seem, difficulties, unique/innovative problem solving, sourcing of props/costumes/backgrounds, etc.
Monday, April 1, 2019
Remember, this is THE week for the art replication projects. You must bring all components to class on Wed (3,5,7) and Thurs (2) and be ready to discuss. Again, absence of a group member is not a valid reason for not having a project component ready. Airplay reliability has been very spotty recently, so definitely prepare to speak live about your project. We will watch the videos at some point if airplay isn't working in class that day.
Wordwright 4 will be Thursday, April 4 for hours 4 and 6. 2,3,5,7 will be Monday of next week.
Wordwright study words: ebb, thrash, wistful, diction, progression, pace, internal rhyme, nostalgic, metaphorical, aquatic, tidewater, onomatopoeia, earnest, connotation, context, iambic, pedantic, feminine rhyme, assonance, haughty, analogy, wary, alliteration, imperative, paradox, security
Time to make your book choices. Slaughterhouse Five, Fast Food Nation, Lord of the Flies are your options. This will primarily be an in-class assignment.
Check Skyward for 0's. Some grades are significantly affected by 0's right now. You need to check with me for makeup options. ALL 0's can be made up, but you have to do it.
Wordwright 4 will be Thursday, April 4 for hours 4 and 6. 2,3,5,7 will be Monday of next week.
Wordwright study words: ebb, thrash, wistful, diction, progression, pace, internal rhyme, nostalgic, metaphorical, aquatic, tidewater, onomatopoeia, earnest, connotation, context, iambic, pedantic, feminine rhyme, assonance, haughty, analogy, wary, alliteration, imperative, paradox, security
Time to make your book choices. Slaughterhouse Five, Fast Food Nation, Lord of the Flies are your options. This will primarily be an in-class assignment.
Check Skyward for 0's. Some grades are significantly affected by 0's right now. You need to check with me for makeup options. ALL 0's can be made up, but you have to do it.
Thursday, March 21, 2019
Wednesday, March 6, 2019
Juniors and Seniors can sign up for Career Fair speakers here for March 20.
The Career Fair will be on March 20, the first advisory after spring break. Please share the short link with your junior and senior classes. The junior class will be required to attend at least two speakers during the one hour career fair. The seniors have the option to attend if they are interested in a particular speaker or career, or they can have a study hall in their advisory that day.
As the advisory teacher, you will remain in your room during that time, while your junior students attend speakers in other rooms. The junior advisory rooms will each have a speaker assigned to them, but you can remain in your room and work during the time the speakers are there.
The Career Fair will be on March 20, the first advisory after spring break. Please share the short link with your junior and senior classes. The junior class will be required to attend at least two speakers during the one hour career fair. The seniors have the option to attend if they are interested in a particular speaker or career, or they can have a study hall in their advisory that day.
As the advisory teacher, you will remain in your room during that time, while your junior students attend speakers in other rooms. The junior advisory rooms will each have a speaker assigned to them, but you can remain in your room and work during the time the speakers are there.
Thursday, February 28, 2019
Due to circumstances out of my control, both due to the weather and its subsequent schedule changes affecting Friday especially, we will push Vocab 9 to next week. Today/Friday will be dedicated to finishing the final Martian Chronicles test and working on getting makeup assignments finished. We will also discuss Case Study #7 in more depth in relation to the prompt for the essay. I'm not putting a set date on it yet (have you seen the forecast for Monday????) Be ready to start Vocab 9 Monday, but not guaranteeing that's when we take/start it.
Tuesday, February 26, 2019
This NYT article about the latest Nike ad featuring Serena Williams is a great companion resource to our ongoing conversation about perspective and context affecting our perception.
Vocab 9 and Martian Chronicles completion this week.
Vocab 9 and Martian Chronicles completion this week.
Sunday, February 24, 2019
Reminder: I will NOT be available for Wednesday conferences. I added the message to Skyward and it should have gone out, but please relay this message to your parents if they do not check this site. I am happy to make other arrangements.
Grades: Obviously, everything is backed up at this point, so grades are too. Please remember that quarter grades don't really mean anything, as all classes and grades are semester based only. In other words, there is not an average between quarter 3 and 4 in any class, it is all just one big grade from January to May. Numbers will start to fill in, but I will not give "easy to grade" assignments just for the sake of numbers or to "get something in the book" as this would be neither an authentic representation of your performance nor an authentic representation of our goals in class.
Grades: Obviously, everything is backed up at this point, so grades are too. Please remember that quarter grades don't really mean anything, as all classes and grades are semester based only. In other words, there is not an average between quarter 3 and 4 in any class, it is all just one big grade from January to May. Numbers will start to fill in, but I will not give "easy to grade" assignments just for the sake of numbers or to "get something in the book" as this would be neither an authentic representation of your performance nor an authentic representation of our goals in class.
Friday, February 22, 2019
Edward Burtynsky is one of my favorite artists/photographers. His interpretation and use of perspective are a perfect visual accompaniment to close out The Martian Chronicles as we think/talk about how perspective and context impact each other in how we view art of any kind. Click on the link to take a look, create some ideas of "the story" you see.
Thursday, February 21, 2019
Oh, hey there...we have school. Vocab test 9 will be postponed to next week. I haven't seen some of you for over a week, there are still tests to make up, and yeah. We need to regroup. We will spend some time at the beginning of the hour talking about what is hopefully a fairly doable revised schedule, but the rest of the time will be dedicated to getting "caught up" in whatever way that means for you. More details in class as the days play out. Throwback Thursday to last Thursday.
Thursday, February 14, 2019
The Martian Chronicles, part 3 (Usher II - The Million Year Picnic)
As you read the final section of the book, I would ask you to consider the difference between "surviving" on Mars, and "living" on Mars. Essentially, what is the difference between living biologically and "living" in the full sense of the word? What things now motivate the humans on Mars? Are they now "the Martians" and are they different from people on Earth, if there are any left? There are a lot more questions I could ask, but they are almost unlimited, so instead, I would challenge you to ask questions in self reflection that help you form a position on the book and on the overall issue.
This TED talk about life on Mars might help you formulate a framework for this concept.
Remember, next week's schedule is off again. Wednesday is a 7 hour day, Thursday is even block, Friday is odd block. Vocab 9 test will be Thursday and Friday. Case study for all classes will be case #7 "Love Drugs"
As you read the final section of the book, I would ask you to consider the difference between "surviving" on Mars, and "living" on Mars. Essentially, what is the difference between living biologically and "living" in the full sense of the word? What things now motivate the humans on Mars? Are they now "the Martians" and are they different from people on Earth, if there are any left? There are a lot more questions I could ask, but they are almost unlimited, so instead, I would challenge you to ask questions in self reflection that help you form a position on the book and on the overall issue.
This TED talk about life on Mars might help you formulate a framework for this concept.
Remember, next week's schedule is off again. Wednesday is a 7 hour day, Thursday is even block, Friday is odd block. Vocab 9 test will be Thursday and Friday. Case study for all classes will be case #7 "Love Drugs"
Tuesday, February 12, 2019
The Martian Chronicles
Part 3 guiding questions- These will cover Usher II to the end of the book
The focus of this section will be on the concept of "fight" that happens once humans have established their presence on Mars.
April 2005: Usher II
First of all, if you are not familiar with Poe's story "The Fall of the House of Usher," look up a summary, or read it, so the references and the chapter's events make sense.
What is Stendahl trying to create on Mars and why would somebody want something like this?
What has happened on Earth that has prompted Stendahl's seemingly monstrous creation?
Is Stendahl a hero or a villain? Is doing something wrong/illegal to fight against something you feel is wrong, actually wrong?
August 2005: The Old Ones
Who is coming to Mars now and what does Bradbury's way of describing them seem to say about his opinion of what Mars has become?
September 2005: The Martian
Although rare, Martians still do exist. Early in the book, they used their ability to read minds and change into humans to trick people in order to fight them off. What has changed and why?
November 2005: The Luggage Store
What "happens" to people when they don't feel connected to something, even if they once were?
November 2005: The Off Season
Who is Sam Parkhill and what is he trying to do on Mars?
There have been ominous moments of foreshadowing about what fate Earth is headed toward throughout the book. What event finally takes place and what is implied about why it happened?
Why is Sam's wife so dismissive/skeptical about the hotdog stand he wants to open on Mars?
What does the hotdog stand represent symbolically, and how does it contrast the Martian "gift" to Sam?
November 2005: The Watchers
Why is the luggage "gone from the shelves" and what does it tell us about the people on Mars?
December 2005: The Silent Towns
This chapter is one of the best examples of irony in the entire book. Every aspect of it is ironic, and this will be the primary focus. Irony is the only thing you really need to look for in this chapter from a critical standpoint. Irony. I-R-O-N-Y.
April 2026: The Long Years
What has Hathaway done, and why?
Overall, what has life on Mars turned into and how is it different from what was hoped for when people first started traveling here? In other words, what problem could humans not escape?
August 2026: There Will Come Soft Rains
What cycle is beginning, or continuing and reaching a new level, in this chapter?
Despite a promise of near immortality due to AI and automation, what is nature proving, or technology disproving, in this chapter?
October 2026: The Million Year Picnic
Who are the Martians?
What is Bradbury's final point based on this "discovery?"
Part 3 guiding questions- These will cover Usher II to the end of the book
The focus of this section will be on the concept of "fight" that happens once humans have established their presence on Mars.
April 2005: Usher II
First of all, if you are not familiar with Poe's story "The Fall of the House of Usher," look up a summary, or read it, so the references and the chapter's events make sense.
What is Stendahl trying to create on Mars and why would somebody want something like this?
What has happened on Earth that has prompted Stendahl's seemingly monstrous creation?
Is Stendahl a hero or a villain? Is doing something wrong/illegal to fight against something you feel is wrong, actually wrong?
August 2005: The Old Ones
Who is coming to Mars now and what does Bradbury's way of describing them seem to say about his opinion of what Mars has become?
September 2005: The Martian
Although rare, Martians still do exist. Early in the book, they used their ability to read minds and change into humans to trick people in order to fight them off. What has changed and why?
November 2005: The Luggage Store
What "happens" to people when they don't feel connected to something, even if they once were?
November 2005: The Off Season
Who is Sam Parkhill and what is he trying to do on Mars?
There have been ominous moments of foreshadowing about what fate Earth is headed toward throughout the book. What event finally takes place and what is implied about why it happened?
Why is Sam's wife so dismissive/skeptical about the hotdog stand he wants to open on Mars?
What does the hotdog stand represent symbolically, and how does it contrast the Martian "gift" to Sam?
November 2005: The Watchers
Why is the luggage "gone from the shelves" and what does it tell us about the people on Mars?
December 2005: The Silent Towns
This chapter is one of the best examples of irony in the entire book. Every aspect of it is ironic, and this will be the primary focus. Irony is the only thing you really need to look for in this chapter from a critical standpoint. Irony. I-R-O-N-Y.
April 2026: The Long Years
What has Hathaway done, and why?
Overall, what has life on Mars turned into and how is it different from what was hoped for when people first started traveling here? In other words, what problem could humans not escape?
August 2026: There Will Come Soft Rains
What cycle is beginning, or continuing and reaching a new level, in this chapter?
Despite a promise of near immortality due to AI and automation, what is nature proving, or technology disproving, in this chapter?
October 2026: The Million Year Picnic
Who are the Martians?
What is Bradbury's final point based on this "discovery?"
Sunday, February 10, 2019
Tomorrow's bell schedule can be found below. The rest of the week is the same schedule as always. This means that Thursday block classes will get tomorrow to start their Martian Chronicles 1&2 test, and Tuesday will serve as our Friday/Day 2 for the test. We will NOT have Vocab 9 this week. Honors classes, we will reschedule our next library trip for group work, hopefully for later this week's block days. This is what I got for now, but as we have found out recently, things can change so pay attention to the blog and in class.
Hour 2 7:40–9:15 (95 minutes)
Seminar 9:20-10:55 (95 minutes)
Hour 4 11:00–1:00 (95 minutes + 30 minute lunch)
1st Lunch - 10:55-11:25 ~ Class - 11:25-1:00
2nd Lunch - 11:45-12:15 ~ Class - 11:00-11:45 / 12:15-1:00
3rd Lunch - 12:35-1:05 ~ Class - 11:00-12:35
Hour 6 1:05–2:40 (95 minutes)
Hour 2 7:40–9:15 (95 minutes)
Seminar 9:20-10:55 (95 minutes)
Hour 4 11:00–1:00 (95 minutes + 30 minute lunch)
1st Lunch - 10:55-11:25 ~ Class - 11:25-1:00
2nd Lunch - 11:45-12:15 ~ Class - 11:00-11:45 / 12:15-1:00
3rd Lunch - 12:35-1:05 ~ Class - 11:00-12:35
Hour 6 1:05–2:40 (95 minutes)
Monday, February 4, 2019
Non Honors: you will take the Martian Chronicles test 1&2 on Thurs/Friday of this week. You will have most of today and tomorrow to get caught up on reading. On Thursday we will have vocab as usual, then you will be able to start the test. You will have as much time as you need Thursday and Friday to read and complete.
Honors: you will take the Martian Chronicles test 1&2 on Block/Friday. We will start it on the block day after vocab, but you will have time on Friday as well. We will meet in the library tomorrow (Tuesday 2/5) to kick off the art replication project.
Guiding Questions through Test #2
June 2001: and the Moon Be Still as Bright
Now that we know what has happened to the Martians, why is Spender still so worried about protecting Martian culture?
Spender knows he is not a Martian. Why then does he proclaim that he is "the last Martian?"
Why doesn't Spender kill all of the men?
Why does Spender "allow" himself to be killed?
August 2001: The Settlers
Why do people come to Mars?
December 2001: The Green Morning
Wow, what an uplifting and inspirational chapter, right? (I'm serious about answering this question)
Is this a good or bad thing, or does it depend on your point of view? Address both sides.
What does this chapter have in common with Rocket Summer, the first chapter in the book?
February 2002: The Locusts
Why is this chapter called "The Locusts?" What is the significance of this, both from a literary and a historical/natural perspective?
What significance does the impact/imagery of the diction used in this chapter hold?
August 2002: Night Meeting
What are some possible explanations for this chapter? (There is no right answer)
How does Bradbury's ambiguous approach to time, specifically the notion of past, present, and future, contribute to the overall presence of real life concerns in this book?
Why do you think the word "Time" is capitalized? How does this small stylistic element change the gravity of its use as a tangible thing?
October 2002: The Shore
What is "the problem" with who is coming to Mars and why they are there?
Thoughts on the last line?
February 2003: Interim
The Oz comparison?
April 2003: The Musicians
What are the boys doing?
Once again we have "firemen" in a Bradbury work. What does he seem to use this analogy for? What do "firemen" do in Bradbury's world?
June 2003: Way in the Middle of the Air
Why is a racist white man so angry about black people leaving?
Explain the satirical nature of Teece's character, and why it's alarming that he may not be that much of an exaggeration.
When Silly shouts to Teece "What you goin' to do nights, now?" what is he referring to? What satirical commentary about racism in America is Bradbury clearly mocking?
2004-2005: The Naming of Names
What era(s) or element(s) of American history do the sophisticates represent?
Who "...pushes back" and why? What is happening on Mars?
Honors: you will take the Martian Chronicles test 1&2 on Block/Friday. We will start it on the block day after vocab, but you will have time on Friday as well. We will meet in the library tomorrow (Tuesday 2/5) to kick off the art replication project.
Guiding Questions through Test #2
June 2001: and the Moon Be Still as Bright
Now that we know what has happened to the Martians, why is Spender still so worried about protecting Martian culture?
Spender knows he is not a Martian. Why then does he proclaim that he is "the last Martian?"
Why doesn't Spender kill all of the men?
Why does Spender "allow" himself to be killed?
August 2001: The Settlers
Why do people come to Mars?
December 2001: The Green Morning
Wow, what an uplifting and inspirational chapter, right? (I'm serious about answering this question)
Is this a good or bad thing, or does it depend on your point of view? Address both sides.
What does this chapter have in common with Rocket Summer, the first chapter in the book?
February 2002: The Locusts
Why is this chapter called "The Locusts?" What is the significance of this, both from a literary and a historical/natural perspective?
What significance does the impact/imagery of the diction used in this chapter hold?
August 2002: Night Meeting
What are some possible explanations for this chapter? (There is no right answer)
How does Bradbury's ambiguous approach to time, specifically the notion of past, present, and future, contribute to the overall presence of real life concerns in this book?
Why do you think the word "Time" is capitalized? How does this small stylistic element change the gravity of its use as a tangible thing?
October 2002: The Shore
What is "the problem" with who is coming to Mars and why they are there?
Thoughts on the last line?
February 2003: Interim
The Oz comparison?
April 2003: The Musicians
What are the boys doing?
Once again we have "firemen" in a Bradbury work. What does he seem to use this analogy for? What do "firemen" do in Bradbury's world?
June 2003: Way in the Middle of the Air
Why is a racist white man so angry about black people leaving?
Explain the satirical nature of Teece's character, and why it's alarming that he may not be that much of an exaggeration.
When Silly shouts to Teece "What you goin' to do nights, now?" what is he referring to? What satirical commentary about racism in America is Bradbury clearly mocking?
2004-2005: The Naming of Names
What era(s) or element(s) of American history do the sophisticates represent?
Who "...pushes back" and why? What is happening on Mars?
Wednesday, January 30, 2019
Tuesday, January 29, 2019
*for hours 2 and 3, you need to be through Ch. 6 The Third Expedition, not just Ch. 5 The Taxpayer as I originally stated
Chapter 5: The Taxpayer
Why do you think Bradbury makes the taxpayer (Pritchard) seem so wildly insistent about going to Mars? What aspects of our culture and human nature, both positive and negative, is Bradbury likely trying to illustrate with this interaction?
Chapter 6: The Third Expedition
What do the towns and other things that the Martians have built, or projected, imply about the Earthlings' reasons for traveling to Mars?
What is some of the irony in how Bradbury implies Martians would feel about Earthlings traveling to Mars?
Why does this chapter end the way it does? Why do the Martians continue the Earth-like facade after the deed is done?
Chapter 5: The Taxpayer
Why do you think Bradbury makes the taxpayer (Pritchard) seem so wildly insistent about going to Mars? What aspects of our culture and human nature, both positive and negative, is Bradbury likely trying to illustrate with this interaction?
Chapter 6: The Third Expedition
What do the towns and other things that the Martians have built, or projected, imply about the Earthlings' reasons for traveling to Mars?
What is some of the irony in how Bradbury implies Martians would feel about Earthlings traveling to Mars?
Why does this chapter end the way it does? Why do the Martians continue the Earth-like facade after the deed is done?
Sunday, January 27, 2019
Hope you've had a good spring weekend! I spent my Sunday in bed wearing something that looks like a cross between a sleeping bag, a comforter, and a hoodie. Long story short, I won't be in class on Monday at least. For now, we will push Wordwright to Tuesday. I will try to post additional TMC chapter questions. For Honors classes, the case study for this week's vocab essay is Case #8: De-Extinction. I know the case focuses on species, but think bigger than that too, in conjunction with TMC and the TED talk I posted last week.
Friday, January 25, 2019
Plan on Wordwright 3 for Monday, 1/28. It might get shifted to Tuesday, but planning on Monday.
There are some MC guiding questions in previous posts and on GClass.
We'll try to get to it in class, but this 5 minute TED Talk about not using Mars as a "backup" planet offers some interesting perspective on the concept.
There are some MC guiding questions in previous posts and on GClass.
We'll try to get to it in class, but this 5 minute TED Talk about not using Mars as a "backup" planet offers some interesting perspective on the concept.
Thursday, January 24, 2019
Questions for the first two chapters are on GClass
MC study questions:
August 1999: The Summer Night
What is starting to happen to more and more Martians and why does it alarm them?
What is this occurrence a likely foreshadowing of?
August 1999: The Earth Men
The men claim to be the second expedition but they don't know what happened to the first one. What happened?
Why are the men so upset by the greeting they receive on Mars? Indirectly, what does Bradbury seem to be criticizing about humans?
By having the Martians not care/not believe the Earthlings' stories, what "hard truth" does Bradbury propose even if there are other life forms besides on Earth?
MC study questions:
August 1999: The Summer Night
What is starting to happen to more and more Martians and why does it alarm them?
What is this occurrence a likely foreshadowing of?
August 1999: The Earth Men
The men claim to be the second expedition but they don't know what happened to the first one. What happened?
Why are the men so upset by the greeting they receive on Mars? Indirectly, what does Bradbury seem to be criticizing about humans?
By having the Martians not care/not believe the Earthlings' stories, what "hard truth" does Bradbury propose even if there are other life forms besides on Earth?
Tuesday, January 22, 2019
Wordwright #3 will be taken next week, most likely Monday or Tuesday. I will decide and confirm this week. Below you will find the word list for Wordwright 3. Don't spend too much time trying to memorize a bunch of words you don't know.
lapse, metabolic, disfigured, entourage, egregious, pristine, subtext, fathom (v), slather, eccentricity, accessory, ingest, scrutiny, indispensability, plastique, cul-de-sace, nostalgic, ambience, incite, repel, adhere, recur, aplomb, nubile, immaculate, genteel, proboscis, kaffeeklatsche, differentiate, flippant, colloquial, satiric, angst, alliterative, juxtaposition, hyperbolic, tone, forthright, pedantic, metaphor, diction, dysfunctional, epithet, flout, understatement, irony, syntactic parallelism, oratorical, rhetorical, refrain (n), homogeneous, taciturn, diction, duplicitous
Begin "The Martian Chronicles" in class. All classes. We will be reading in class exclusively, unless you acquire your own copy.
lapse, metabolic, disfigured, entourage, egregious, pristine, subtext, fathom (v), slather, eccentricity, accessory, ingest, scrutiny, indispensability, plastique, cul-de-sace, nostalgic, ambience, incite, repel, adhere, recur, aplomb, nubile, immaculate, genteel, proboscis, kaffeeklatsche, differentiate, flippant, colloquial, satiric, angst, alliterative, juxtaposition, hyperbolic, tone, forthright, pedantic, metaphor, diction, dysfunctional, epithet, flout, understatement, irony, syntactic parallelism, oratorical, rhetorical, refrain (n), homogeneous, taciturn, diction, duplicitous
Begin "The Martian Chronicles" in class. All classes. We will be reading in class exclusively, unless you acquire your own copy.
Tuesday, January 15, 2019
Thursday, January 10, 2019
Wednesday, January 9, 2019
Argument in an academic nutshell. This link will take you to UNC's writing center, which is also the foundation for our 5 Step Model. Although there are almost limitless ways and aspects of argument to discuss and "argue" about, this one is definitely useful and approachable for us.
Tuesday, January 8, 2019
Monday and Tuesday 1/7-1/8
Semester 2 Introduction materials for argumentation: All materials are on G-Class. Today we watched this breakdown of how and why we argue and how we determine value of an argument and revisited the answers to yesterday's questions. The "Intellectual Humility" excerpt on G-Class is also a good resource from Tuesday.
Questions from Monday:
1. What is the difference between argument and analysis?
2. What is the most important aspect of a good argument?
3. How do you define losing vs. winning?
4. Do you have to win an argument to be successful?
5. What does it all mean?
Tuesday's reflection/revision questions: You don't have to change your answers, but what additional considerations (or changes) might you make to your answers? Which of the three argumentative models do you think your answers reflect? Probably most importantly, do you think the "war metaphor" model is reflected in your thoughts about argument? Do you agree with the point the speaker makes toward the end when he says the person who has "lost" has actually made more gains because they have learned more?
Semester 2 Introduction materials for argumentation: All materials are on G-Class. Today we watched this breakdown of how and why we argue and how we determine value of an argument and revisited the answers to yesterday's questions. The "Intellectual Humility" excerpt on G-Class is also a good resource from Tuesday.
Questions from Monday:
1. What is the difference between argument and analysis?
2. What is the most important aspect of a good argument?
3. How do you define losing vs. winning?
4. Do you have to win an argument to be successful?
5. What does it all mean?
Tuesday's reflection/revision questions: You don't have to change your answers, but what additional considerations (or changes) might you make to your answers? Which of the three argumentative models do you think your answers reflect? Probably most importantly, do you think the "war metaphor" model is reflected in your thoughts about argument? Do you agree with the point the speaker makes toward the end when he says the person who has "lost" has actually made more gains because they have learned more?
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