Team players

 Drama 8:  Remember, you will be reciting your Shakespeare passage on Monday and Tuesday.  If you're not sure of the lines, practice over the weekend.

Journal #2:  On a scale of 1 - 4, with 4 being excellent and 1 being not good at all, how would you rate yourself as a group member?  Explain your answer.  What qualities do you have that make you a good group member?  In what areas do you need to improve?  Are you a good leader?  Explain why or why not.  Write about a time when you worked in a group (it doesn't have to be in this class and it doesn't have to be a positive experience) and what you learned from it.

All the world's a stage,

And all the men and women merely players;

They have their exits and their entrances

And one man, in his time, plays many parts.

How weary, stale, flat and unprofitable/Seem to me all the uses of this world!

 Have you ever felt like poor Hamlet?  That the world is empty of meaning and purpose?

You were to have read Act 1, scene 1.  In your group, describe what the men in this scene think about ghosts. (Use the following quotes to come up with specific ideas.)  Do you agree with them?

PARAPHRASE (write in your own words) the following passages:

1.  'tis but our fantasy (I, i, 23)

2.  Thou art a scholar (line 42)

3.  This bodes some strange eruption to our state (line 69)

4.  A little ere the mightiest Julius fell,

The graves stood tenantless and the sheeted dead

Did squeak and gibber in the Roman streets. (lines 114-116)

5.  If thou art privy to thy country's fate,

Which, happily, foreknowing may avoid,

O, speak! (lines 133-135)

6.  We do it wrong, being so majestical,

To offer it the show of violence;

For it is, as the air, invulnerable (lines 143-145)

7.  It faded on the crowing of the cock.  (line 151)

8.  Upon my life,

This spirit, dumb to us, will speak to him. (lines 171 - 172)

We meet Claudius, who is running the affairs of state.  What do you think of him?  

We meet Hamlet, who is dressed in black and in mourning for his father's death.  What do you think of him?

What is Claudius's advice to Hamlet?  Is it good advice?

What is one contrast between Laertes and Hamlet?

What does Hamlet think about his mother?  (Quote the play.)

Have your group perform two of these short exchanges:

Act 1, scene 2

(Lines 118-121)

Queen:  Let not thy mother lose her prayers, Hamlet:

I pray thee, stay with us; go not to Wittenberg.

Hamlet:  I shall in all my best obey you, madam.

King:  Why, 'tis a loving and a fair reply.

(Lines 175-177)

Horatio:  My lord, I came to see your father's funeral.

Hamlet:  I pray thee, do not mock me, fellow-student;

I think it was to see my mother's wedding.

(lines 188 - 190)

Horatio:  My lord, I think I saw him yesternight.

Hamlet:  Saw!  Who?

Horatio:  My lord, the king your father.

Hamlet:  The king my father!

(Lines 224 - 233)

Hamlet:  Hold you the watch tonight?

All:  We do, my lord.

Hamlet:  Arm'd, say you?

All:  Arm'd, my lord.

Hamlet:  From top to toe?

All:  My lord, from head to foot.

Hamlet:  Then saw you not his face?

Horatio:  O yes, my lord, he wore his beaver up.

Hamlet:  What, look'd he frowningly?

Horatio:  A countenance more in sorrow than in anger.

...

Hamlet:  I would I had been there.

Decorate your folder with images from all five acts!

Oh, that this too too solid flesh would melt, thaw and resolve itself into a dew!

 Guess who wrote that?  Yeah, you guessed it.  Shakespeare!  Here is the famous "Swan" drawing of a Shakespearean style theatre!

In A1, we started on our study of Hamlet -- we created theatre companies and saw the first scene presented by the Royal Shakespeare Company.  Remember each group is responsible for keeping a diary of what you do each day.  It must not fall to one person in the group to do this.  Each of you should lend a hand!

We discussed "The Yellow Wallpaper", which we will do tomorrow in A2.

We agreed that your final bildungsroman story is due on November 4.  For A2, we agreed that it would be due on November 3.  Try to think about what you learned from the two stories we read.  How did Margaret Lawrence create the impression of the characters?  (Think of the grandfather.)  How does Charlotte Perkins Gilman use unusual words to help us get inside the protagonist's mind?  The story arc that we discussed can be very helpful to structure your story.  Introduce the characters and setting.  The emotional loss can provide an inciting incident.  The struggles the protagonist faces can create rising action.  You reach the climax and then wrap things up quickly.  Try not to philosophize too much!  Let your reader do that.  We are finished with the short story book, so you can return that.  Too bad the quarter is so short, because there are lots of great short stories in that book.  Two I would recommend are "The Painted Door" by Sinclair Ross and "The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson.  "The Rocking Horse Winner" (D. H. Lawrence) is also terrific.

You should be continuing to work on your poetry project and also be reading twenty minutes a day and writing in your reading log.

A1 -- Read Act 1, scene 1 out loud at home.  Remember, punctuation is your friend!

Tomorrow, Cail will ask the question of the day.  On Thursday, Travis will ask it in A1.

Care and respect at Steveston-London

 Drama 8:  You are getting into the swing of things here at Steveston-London, but this is a strange year, in which you are not able to meet a lot of students just hanging out in the common areas of the school.  It is going to be a challenge this year to create a strong school community, which is one of the hallmarks of our school.  In the Drama club, we always welcome newcomers to our midst enthusiastically because we know that they will continue the great traditions of our theatre and of our school.

The idea of treating each other with care and respect has long been a motto of Steveston-London.  This is something we want all of you to practice each and every day.  It is essential in Drama where people are asked to take creative risks all the time.  You must strive to demonstrate to your classmates that you care for and respect each of them, and that means that you listen to their ideas and take them seriously.

Sometimes you can be insensitive without meaning to be.   But this is not an excuse for poor behavior.   Don't discount someone's idea with a joke or a mean remark.  One of the goals in Drama 8 is to become a better listener and to try to be considerate of others.

Being accepting of the diversity in our student population is one way of demonstrating your care and respect for others.  It is exciting to be able to share our vastly different perspectives and in the theatre, we need to embrace the idea that everyone should have a voice and deserves to be treated with the utmost care and respect.

English 12:

We will be starting our study of "Hamlet" next!  This is obviously very exciting for me, because I love Shakespeare and I'm always eager to share his amazing work with everyone.  "Hamlet" is (arguably) his greatest (and longest) play.  Like a number of works we have read this quarter, "Hamlet" could be called a coming of age story.  Hamlet is a young man who is struggling with many of the issues that face all of us, but especially young people.  He faces intense family pressures -- dealing with the loss of his father and his mother's sudden marriage to his uncle.  He feels required to take action, but cannot seem to take the first step.  He is struggling with his relationships with his friends, his elders and his companions.  He feels like he can't trust anyone.  He struggles with his mental health -- sometimes, he wonders if he is crazy and sometimes, others wonder the same thing.

This is a play, so it is meant to be seen and experienced.  Shakespeare always starts things out with a bang!  In the first scene of the play, we meet a ghost on the foggy battlements of the castle of Elsinore!  Perfect for Hallowe'en!

Fun Facts about Shakespeare:

1.  He died on his birthday (we think) -- April 23.  I usually celebrate with a cake on that day.  He was born in 1564 and died in 1616.

2.  He is said to have played the ghost in "Hamlet".  He was an actor, a theatre "director" and producer and made a good living in London in the theatre before retiring to Stratford, the town where he was born.

3.  His wife, Anne Hathaway, was 26 when he married her.  He was 18.  They had three children -- Susanna, born 6 months after their wedding day and then twins, Judith and Hamnet in 1585.

4.  His son, Hamnet, died in 1596.  Some suggest his son's death plunged him into a dark time during which he might have written his darkest, bleakest plays.

5.  His first play was likely "Titus Andronicus" which is a very violent and gory play.

6.  His shortest tragedy is "Macbeth" -- also quite gory.  His shortest play is the comedy "A Comedy of Errors" which is about two sets of twins!

7.  He wrote 37 plays in all - tragedies, comedies, romances and historical plays.

8.  This is his epitaph:

Good friend, for Jesus' sake, forbear

To dig the dust enclosed here.

Blest be the man that spares these stones,

And curst be he that moves my bones.

He is buried in Stratford-upon-Avon.

9.  He likely went to grammar school in Stratford, where he would have learned Latin among other subjects.  He would have begun attending school at 7 and stopped when he was about 14.

10.  In addition to his plays, he also wrote poetry, especially when the theatres were closed because of outbreaks of the plague.

11.  We don't know a lot about Shakespeare's private life, because people didn't keep records about "ordinary" people in those days.  Most of the things we hear are not verified or verifiable.

Update for A1 -- The Yellow Wallpaper (redux)

 Now I am assigning you the happy task of reading "The Yellow Wallpaper" and the following article in which the author describes why she wrote it.  

These words might be new to you:  felicity, querulous, delirium tremens, undulating, melancholia.  If you aren't sure what they mean, you will find them in the story and article.  You might look them up or you might be able to figure them out by looking at the context in which they are used.

Here are some questions you might want to consider after you read the story:

Are you like John? (How is he described?)

What is her situation?  Do you envy her at the beginning?  Do you sympathize with her?

Do you agree with her that “congenial work . . . would do [her] good”?

What unusual word and phrases does she use to describe the wallpaper?

Why won’t John let her fix up the room?  Why does he insist that they use the room with the wallpaper?

Why is she afraid to be “caught” writing?

How does the story end?  (There is some controversy about this.  What do you think?)

 Could this story be written today, in the 21^st century?  Would the situation and the characters be believable?  

Drama 8 - First journal

 Try to get this finished by Tuesday of next week (October 27).

What should Ms. Kosar know about you?  Include if you have done any sort of drama before -- public speaking, performances, improv, elementary school presentations, classes at Gateway, etc.)  Do you have stage fright?  (Lots of your classmates do, too, but some of them are really good at hiding it.)  Have you ever done any sort of performing (music, dance, sports)?  What do you expect to get out of Drama class?  Also mention any other concerns you might have.

MAKE SURE YOU ANSWER ALL THE QUESTIONS!

ON MONDAY, JOEL WILL LEAD THE CLASS -- ASKING THE QUESTION OF THE DAY AND INTRODUCING A WARM-UP GAME.  MAKE SURE YOU CAN SAY WHY THE ACTIVITY IS APPLICABLE TO DRAMA.

The Yellow Wallpaper - English 12

 Great debates today, A2.  I am so impressed with all of you and how well you argued your points.  There were no weak sides -- kudos to all of you!

We will be reading a strange short story next called "The Yellow Wallpaper" by Charlotte Perkins Gilman.  In our short story book, there is an article after the story called "Why I Wrote 'The Yellow Wallpaper'" (also by Charlotte Perkins Gilman).  We will read both (you can also find both online, if you prefer.)  It is a weird story and perhaps appropriate for this time of year as we approach Hallowe'en.  I am not officially assigning you to read it for the next class, but if you find yourself at loose ends and want to give yourself a little tweak of Gothic creepiness, this might be just the thing.

You should all be starting to plan out your poetry project.  Here are the questions I would like you to answer about each poem.  It would be nice if you could frame the answers in a paragraph, rather than question #1:  answer, etc.

Name of poem.  (If it does not appear in our poetry book, please include a copy of the poem.)

Name of poet, with a brief (three sentences at most) bio.

How does this poem fit your theme?  What does it say about the theme?  Does the poem tell a story?  What is the story (if it tells one)?  What is it about (if it doesn't tell a story, does it describe something, is it arguing a point or expressing an emotion)?

Why did you choose this particular poem?  What do you like about it?

What form does the poem take?  (sonnet, lyric, limerick, ballad, ode, etc.)  What poetic devices does it use?  (include examples)

You do not have to explain your own poems (you are to write two).  Just include them.

I would like you to include an introduction explaining why you chose your theme, and some sort of visual element (drawing, collage, photograph -- it should be your own work!)

I hope you will be able to share one of your poems (either one you chose to suit the theme or your own work) with the class and talk a bit about it.

Voting Days!

 Election fever is in the air!  In English 12, we are having some exciting debate days and of course, have discussed all the debates we've been enjoying in the last few weeks!  On Saturday, our provincial election will be held, but in these strange days of the pandemic, lots of people (including me) are voting in alternative ways -- I have always waited for Election Day to vote in the past (I calculated that I have voted in every election held since I was 18 -- that's a LOT of elections!!  I have never missed one) but this year, I wanted to avoid crowds, so my sons and I voted yesterday at the advance poll.  It was very orderly and only took us about 5 minutes.  My youngest son voted for the first time, so that was very exciting.  The people working at the poll applauded for him and gave him a sticker that said "lst time voter" -- he felt a bit embarrassed, but it is a big moment in a person's life and everyone was proud of him.  I remember my first time voting -- both my parents were very interested in politics and my mother was working at the poll and my dad took me there to vote and they were both very proud of me.  I was so excited that when I went into the voting booth, my hand was shaking and when I got out and thought about it, I wasn't sure I had voted the way I had planned!  So I am always careful to "check my work" when I vote nowadays.

We are having our student vote today and Thursday at the school.  Grade 8 and 9 students will vote at our onsite voting place in the C Lounge.  Grade 10, 11 and 12s will vote online.  Here is a link to introduce you to the candidates in the riding of Richmond-Steveston:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gT2nIUDLWG8&t=4s  It is a privilege and a responsibility to inform yourself about the issues and the candidates and to exercise your franchise, which people in the past have struggled to attain.  Choose wisely.  You might not think it matters, but the people you choose to represent you have a great deal of influence on your life!  They are responsible for deciding about how schools are run, about how our hospitals take care of us, what laws we must obey, where we build roads, how we take care of our air and water, how many buses are on our bus routes, so many things we count on day to day.

Happy voting!

Debating update! Drama 8 -- welcome to the theatre!

English 12 -- A1 -- Great work today on the debating.  I was very impressed with how well you prepared for your presentation and how enthusiastic you were about your topics!  It would be nice to be able to argue over it for longer.

Bildungsroman outline is due next day (A2's, if you have it done, give it to me tomorrow because that will give me the weekend to read them).

A2 -- we will debate tomorrow!  Looking forward to another round of convincing arguments and counter-arguments!

If you have not done so already, please hand in your copy of The Wars with your stickies inside.  (Your name helps me, too!)

You should be continuing to write reading logs and read and you should be putting together your poetry project on your off days.  You should all have chosen a theme at least by now.

Drama 8:

Good class today!  I was very impressed with the stories your open and closed mimes told.  If you are wondering what to do at the dinner table with your family, why not try a round of the geography game?  When my sons were younger, we always used to play drama games at dinner!  When they were really small, we played the geography game, but we didn't eliminate anyone -- everyone could keep playing!

We will do journals this week on Thursday, so make sure you have paper, something to write with and the drama handout in a duotang.

Update for A2

 We did much of the same thing that the A1 class did, so look there for your homework.  It is very important that you read the short story, "Horses of the Night" and that you create a chart which compares it to The Wars.  Bring the chart to class next day.

If you are overwhelmed with the debate prep and the bildungsroman outline, you may put off the outline till the class after the debate!

Here lies John Yeast/Pardon him for not rising!

 Update for A1:

We set up your debate teams.  We will have the debates on October 20.  You should be thinking about how to strongly present your points.  A little humour never hurts.  Try to appear confident.  Make sure you stick to the topic.

You should read "Horses of the Night" by Margaret Laurence.  Create a chart that shows the similarities and differences between The Wars and "Horses of the Night".  One thing that is similar is that they are both Canadian stories.

Be prepared to hand in your copy of The Wars with its stickies.

Write your own epitaph.  (Or, if that makes you feel a bit uncomfortable, you can write someone else's.)

Your bildungsroman draft is due next week.  You should be reading some poetry to prepare to create your poetry project.  If you read poetry for twenty minutes, you may use that as your reading log reading, but be sure to respond to what you read.

Next day:  Jack will ask the question of the day.  (Be on time!)

Character list for Spoon River

Thanks to all of you who attended the meeting after school today to get started on thinking about scenes we can create to flesh out the monologues.  Taylor will be sending out requests for rehearsals this week.  I hope lunch works for most of you.

Here is a list of the characters we will be performing.   Is there someone who would like to play the very sleazy Lucius Atherton?  His monologue is quite short, but he is mentioned by several of these characters.

Update - English 12 (A2)

 Next day (October 15):  Finish The Wars.  Let's see if your predictions were right.

Your draft of your bildungsroman will be due on October 21 (for A1, October 22).  It should be MUCH LESS than 5 pages, more like 2 pages (500 words, or so).

Think of debate topics.

Start thinking of a theme for your poetry project.  Perhaps if you find a poem you like, that will help you choose a theme.

The question of the day will be asked by Wesley and Tiffany will present her book report.

Keep reading 20 minutes a day and writing in your reading log.

*******************

A1 -- Aya, you need to do your book report.

Jack will ask the question of the day.

Due date for rough draft of bildungsroman - October 22 (see above)

Finish The Wars.  Did you guess what would happen?

Think of debate topics.  Start thinking about a theme for your poetry project.  (see above)

ACTUAL Rubric!

 I understand that my attempt at recreating the rubric might be a bit vague, so this is the actual rubric from the BC Provincial government.  As I said previously, the provincial exams are a thing of the past, but I believe the rubric is an effective way of making a judgement of a piece of writing created under somewhat stressful circumstances!

ENGLISH 12
SCORING GUIDE FOR STAND-ALONE TEXT

6

The six response is superior and may draw upon any number of factors, such as depth of discussion, effectiveness of argument, or level of insight. It exhibits an effective writing style and a sophisticated use of language. Despite its clarity and precision, the response need not be error-free.

5

The five response is proficient and reflects a strong grasp of the topic and the text. The references to the passage may be explicit or implicit and convincingly support a thesis. The writing is well organized and demonstrates a strong command of the conventions of language. Errors may be present, but are not distracting.

4

The four response is competent. The assertions tend to be simplistic; there are no significant errors in understanding. References are present and appropriate, but may be limited to only part of the text. The writing is organized and straightforward. Conventions of language are usually followed, but some errors are evident.

3

The three response is barely adequate. Understanding of the topic and/or the text may be partially flawed. Support may consist of long references to the text which are not clearly connected to a central idea or may be meagre or repetitive. The response may show some sense of purpose, but errors may be distracting.

2
The two response is inadequate. While there is an attempt to address the topic, understanding of the text or

the task may be seriously flawed. Errors are recurring, distracting, and often impede meaning.

1
The one response is unacceptable. Although the response attempts to address the question, it is too brief or

there is a complete lack of control in the writing.

0

The zero response reflects a complete misunderstanding of the text and/or the task, is off-topic, or is a restatement of the question.

This is a first-draft response and should be assessed as such. The use of paragraph structure is assessed holistically with reference to the clarity of expression and organization.

*Any zero paper must be cleared by the section leader.

NR

A blank paper with no response given.

Ministry of Education - 1 - 2018/19 School Year

English 12 Scoring Guides

Rubric from Provincial Exams - English 12

Hi guys,

I hope you're having a really nice Thanksgiving weekend.  The weather is better than we thought it would be.  I expected that it would be raining most of the time, but we had some blue sky and a clear starry night -- if you are out, you can see Mars in the eastern sky very clearly.  Apparently, it is very close to Earth (38.6 million miles) and so if you have a telescope, you can see all sorts of details, like the polar ice cap!  Here's a link to more info at NASA's site:  https://mars.nasa.gov/all-about-mars/night-sky/close-approach/

Here is a rubric that I am going to use to mark the in class essays you wrote the other day.  I am using the concepts that we used to use when marking the provincial exams (that we no longer do -- don't worry!) since this was my attempt to give you that sort of experience.

Rate #        Description

6                Insightful, flawless, logical, creative, presents new ideas, compelling

5                Demonstrates insight and understanding of text, few grammatical errors, solid structure

4                Demonstrates some understanding of text, can have grammar errors but communicates

                    ideas clearly, demonstrates an understanding of essay structure, follows instructions of

                    test

3                Is able to explain at least two components of the text, most ideas communicated clearly,

                    does not follow the basics of essay structure or instructions consistently

2                Unable to clearly answer question, cannot discuss text or answer question, but is able to

                    refer to text                         

1                  Unable to answer questions, makes a start

0                  Unable to answer.

I hope to have these marked when we return after the holiday!

Why is there a "Y"?

 English 12 -- I have had several people ask me about the "Y" on your progress report.  The spreadsheet we were given had a spot for Work Habits and we could fill in G for Good, S for Satisfactory, or N for Not Satisfactory.  Then there was another spot that said Homework and we were to fill in Y for yes, you have done your homework or N for no, you have not done your homework.  Sorry it is not clear.  This is a new form for most of you since we usually only fill out these particular reports if you are not doing the work and are at risk of failure.

If your parents are concerned (or you are), rest assured that a Y is a good thing!  

A-One Update - Happy Thanksgiving!

 A1  - Great scenes from The Wars today!  I know that most of you aren't actors, but I do want to be able to hear you clearly, see that you understand the sense of the scene and show what happens to the class.  I was really pleased with all of the scenes.

Over the weekend, you should start working on your bildungsroman short story.  I will give you a due date in the next while, but it is good to have an idea where you're going.

You should also be thinking of a theme for the upcoming poetry project (described in the course outline on September 28).  Think of a theme you'd be interested in exploring.

Also, mull over debate topics -- we will begin debating after we finish reading The Wars.  You should finish reading the book.  I wonder if any of you correctly predicted the ending.

Next day (Wednesday) -- Jack will ask the question of the day.

-------------------------------------------

A2 -- You should make sure you read to page 203 in The Wars.

Take a look at the course outline to see what I am talking about when I refer to the poetry project.

***********************************************

Everyone . . . have a great long weekend.  Think of things for which you are grateful.

The Creation of the World - Journal (Drama 8)

 This is the journal topic for Friday, October 9:

Which performance of the myth (besides your own) do you think was the best?  Explain why you thought so.  Make sure to mention specific performances, costumes, lighting effects, staging and anything else that made it special?

How did your group do?  What was good about the performance?  What could have been improved?  Was anyone in the group the leader, in your opinion (it could be you, so don't be modest!)?  Did anyone hinder the progress of the group?  (Be honest.)  Describe how your rehearsals unfolded.

You will receive a script today for our last project.  You may write on it, but DON'T LOSE IT!  I want it back when we're done.

I will send home progress reports at the end of next week to give you an idea of how well you did in Drama.  Next week is our last week together.  I have really enjoyed our time together in the theatre and will wish you all the best in Art!

Think of what you might be thankful for!  People who express their gratitude have better attitudes and moods than people who don't!

English 12 -- The Day After!

 I didn't update yesterday, because I was embroiled in doing your progress reports.  If you are missing assignments, you can still hand them in!  The progress report is supposed to alert you if you are not keeping up.  Most of you are doing great!  Just make sure you keep a positive attitude and DO THE READING!

For a few of you, you are missing classes and assignments and the more this goes on, the harder it will be to catch up.  Resolve to do one missing assignment a day and then follow through with your resolution and you will get caught up!

Read to page 203 in The Wars.

Be prepared to perform your scene from the book tomorrow or Tuesday.

Be thinking about how you will flesh out your bildungsroman!  You will be turning your outline into a short story in the days to come.

Drama 8: The Creation of the World

 You will get some time to practice tomorrow, but you need to remember these things.  Read over your lines tonight.  It is best to practice them out loud.

Plan to wear something that suggests your character (or if you have a rain costume just lying around, you can bring it in your backpack!)

Make sure you have a lighting plan!

Update for A2

 Remember always read for 20 minutes and then write your immediate response in your reading log.  You are to choose your own topics this time.  Don't just summarize the book.  Make a prediction, assess the quality of the book or the section you read, ask a question, ask "would I do this if I had this problem?" -- just use the reading log to think about what you're reading.

Two pieces of written homework:  outline of your own bildungsroman and the found poem.

Read Section 4.

Book reports next day:  Tracy and Tiffany

We will perform the final versions of the scenes we saw today.

Aargh! Update for English 12 A1

After our staff meeting, which was quite long, I popped into the staff room on my way out and left my binder with all my info about the play AND my daybook, with all my notes about class and your marks ON THE RECYCLING BIN just outside the ladies' washroom!  I called back to the school in a panic, and luckily, the binder and book were still there, but I can't do any work this evening, so that is very frustrating.  AND I have to try to remember what we did so I can update you . . . 

If I make any mistakes here, I will rectify them tomorrow!  

Firstly, continue reading 20 minutes a day and writing in your reading log.  Don't spend too much time summarizing what you've read.  The important part is to respond to what you read.  Try to push yourself to think deeply about it.  When you compare yourself to another character, you don't have to be a clone to see commonalities.  I don't have much in common with Justin Trudeau, but we are both human beings.  We both have children we love and parents we love.  We both love Canada, warts and all.  He was actually a drama teacher before he went into politics!

I would like you to write a "found" poem.  A found poem is a piece of writing that wasn't originally a poem but that has been made into a poem by the poet (in this case, YOU!)  Find a segment in The Wars that you like, or you think has power and create a poem out of it.  Obviously, it doesn't need to rhyme.  You can use phrases from different spots, like a collage, or just one section which you present as a free verse and use the way you set it up to try to send your message.  Have fun with it.  (That's an order.)

Create an outline for the story you intend to use as your bildungsroman.

Read Section 4 in The Wars.

We will do a final performance of your scenes on Wednesday.  The book reports will be presented by Aya, Tyler K. and Jack.  I think Esther will ask the question of the day.

Citing sources - Mini lesson #2 (English 12)

 It is important to cite your sources if you use a quote or a fact that you have found in research!  Citing your sources shows that you've taken the time to find out about the topic and also that you are not claiming the phrase or fact as your own!  

The most common style for citing sources is the MLA (Modern Language Association) format.

You begin with the author, last name first.  Follow the author's name with a period.  The title of the book should be underlined, if handwritten, or italicized, if typed.  Follow this with a period.  Then, you must cite the publisher, followed by a comma and finally, the date followed by a period.

Here is how The Wars would be cited:

Findley, Timothy.  The Wars.  Penguin Books, 1996.

If you are citing an article from a website or a magazine, you need to include that as a source (sometimes called a "container").  I just read an article about how philanthropists can use their donations as a way to direct what would be public funds to their own pet projects (like the theatre, for example)!

This is how I would cite that article:

Vallely, Paul.  "What philanthropy does." The Guardian Weekly, vol. 203, issue 14, 18 September 2020, p. 34.

Here is a link to Purdue University's website about citing sources:  https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/mla_style/mla_formatting_and_style_guide/mla_formatting_and_style_guide.html

Book Titles - mini-lesson! (English 12)

 Hey, everybody!

I am marking your reading logs and just want to reiterate that you need to underline book titles!  The other option is to italicize them, if you are typing your logs.  Either one is acceptable, but it is not correct to use quotation marks with a book title.  Quotation marks are used for short stories, articles in magazines, poems, plays, films -- works that are not full length books.

I would like you to adhere to the structure I showed you on the first day.  The idea of a reading log is that you are creating a reading diary.  After you read, you write a response to the reading.   I don't need you to type it up neatly or do it all at once before I collect it.  I am interested in your responses as you read.  It can be fun to predict what will happen next, for example, and then find out your prediction was completely wrong!

(This is a page from Leonardo da Vinci's diary, just for fun.  Did you know he wrote backwards?)

Do your best to proof-read carefully.  Lots of you continue to make mistakes with run-on sentences and sentence fragments.  

If you use "one" as a pronoun, the rest of your pronouns need to agree.  Here is an example:

One knows that the rules should always be followed and it is in one's best interest to know the rules and obey them at all times.

If you have not yet handed in your logs or your propaganda assignment, you need to do that a.s.a.p.  I have to send out report cards on Friday!

Make sure you read The Wars to page 155 (the end of section 3).

Journal Day - Drama 8

 Make sure you hand in your journal on Monday, if you haven't done so already.  We are working on choral speaking.  It is vital that you speak in unison, focus on diction (clear pronunciation) and that you are able to communicate emotion in your voice.

We are going to begin work on the Ugandan myth, "The Creation of the World" next.  We will be using all the things we have learned so far to tell the story.

Work for the weekend -- A2

 Make sure you have a scene script for The Wars for Tuesday.

Read to page 155 in the book and be prepared to talk about what happened.  When I ask a question about the reading, I do expect that you will be able to answer.

Make sure you keep reading and writing in your reading log.  You may choose your own topic now.  You can write about whatever strikes you in your reading time.

The lovely Barbara d'Orsey

A1:  Write a one page scene based on a scene from the book from page 44 to 120.  I have assigned partners for those of you in class.  For those who were missing today, you will have to do this on your own.

Here's an example of a scene I wrote based on an event in the section to which I directed you:

Scene from The Wars:

(page 105 – 107)

 Setting:  Hospital ward.

 Robert enters.  Incidental music: Music hall.  He is happy, humming.

He walks through the ward and gets to Harris’s bed.  Harris is asleep, but restless.

Robert:  Afternoon, Harris. (He opens the paper.)  News flash!  The Fundraiser for Veterans Wounded  in the Battle of Comment Vere was attended by a glittering array of local dignitaries including the lovely Lady Barbara D’Orsey, who wore—

 He stops when he hears laughing.

 Cut to:  Eugene Taffler and Barbara D’Orsey who are entering the ward.  Barbara is laughing, but stops on seeing the ward.  Her face freezes, and she smells the flowers.

 Taffler spots Robert and strides across the ward, hand out.  Camera follows him.

Robert stands.  He and Taffler shake hands.  Taffler is hearty.

 

Taffler:  It’s Ross, isn’t it?

Robert:  Good to see you again, Captain Taffler.

Taffler:  Visiting a friend?

Robert:  This is Harris.  He came down with pneumonia on the passage over from Newfoundland.  He can’t seem to shake it.  (shrugs)  The rising damp, I think.

Taffler:  Bloody shame.  (looking around)  I’m sure you’d like to meet my lady friend.

Robert:  Oh, I don’t want to bother you if you’re vis—

Taffler:  No bother at all.  (He steers Robert by the elbow to Barbara.  She touches his hand with her fingertips and smiles stiffly.  She takes a breath and closes her eyes.  Robert looks at Tafler who shrugs.)

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If you were away, you need to hand in your reading log a.s.a.p.  Continue with reading and reading logs on your off-day, but choose your own topics now.  If you have finished your first book, find another.  The school library is open now!

Read to page 155 (all of Section 3).

You need to hand in your patriotic poster/song/poem etc., if you have not done so.

Book reports on Monday -- Jack, Chloe, Jonathan, Rachel and Hannah A.  (If you haven't done your book report yet, you will go on Wednesday.)

Question of the Day:  Tyler H.

_______________________

A2 - Book reports tomorrow - Jody, Cail, Yafa

Question of the day: Cherry

Try to have your piece of propaganda and your reading logs to hand in!