Reading List for English 11

After parent conferences last week, I have been inspired to provide a suggested reading list for all of you, just in case you are not sure what books might be suitable for your age group.

Canadian novels:

Oryx and Crake (Margaret Atwood) -- dystopian novel by one of Canada's most loved authors

Life of Pi - (Yan Martel) -- a strange sea voyage with a curious young boy

Lives of Girls and Women (Alice Munro) -- classic short stories about a girl growing up

The Snow Angel and A Bird in the House  (Margaret Laurence) -- classic Canadian novels by one of the greatest Canadian authors

The Marrow Thieves (Cherie Dimaline) -- futuristic novel resonating with indigenous issues

Coming of Age:

Lord of the Flies (William Goldman) -- boys stranded on a deserted island

The Catcher in the Rye (J. D. Salinger) -- a young man adventures in New York City before Xmas

Classic Victorian Novels:

Oliver Twist, A Tale of Two Cities, A Christmas Carol -- Charles Dickens

Jane Eyre -- Charlotte Bronte (the iconic story of a young governess and a troubled man of the world)

Wuthering Heights -- Emily Bronte (the gothic romance to end all gothic romances)

War Stories:

All Quiet on the Western Front -- Eric Maria Remarque (the heart-breaking story of World War I)

Catch--22 -- Joseph Heller (a modern dystopia as American soldiers try to make sense of World War II)

All the Light We Cannot See --Anthony Doer (a blind French girl and a German boy whose paths collide in war torn France)

Fast Reads:

The Barren Grounds and The Great Bear - David A. Robertson -- young adult novel reminiscent of the Narnia books focusing on two indigenous children living in foster care and exploring the magical barren grounds of Aski.

Books that inspired movies:

A Song of Fire and Ice ("Game of Thrones") - George R. R. Martin

Dune (Frank Herbert)

 

Notes for Dress Rehearsal for "Lies" - Cast and Crew

 I hope all of you take a look here -- I didn't want to keep you on Friday, so here are the notes for the first full run of the show.

EVERYONE:  Check the call times and show times on the bulletin board outside the theatre.  You must attend all the shows next week.

Let Hannah know what kind of pizza you want for Monday after the rehearsal.  We will likely be at school until 5 or so, because we will do notes after the run through.

Be quiet backstage, in the wings, in the stairwells, in the booth.

Leave the doors to the theatre open.  YOU CANNOT COME AND GO DURING THE SHOW.  YOU NEED TO  BE VERY QUIET AND SNEAKY WHEN YOU COME IN TO THE THEATRE.

When you are backstage, stay FAR back.  If you can see the audience, they can see you.

ACTORS:

SOME OF YOU ARE DOING THIS LEG KICK THING WHEN YOU ARE STANDING.  DON'T DO THAT.  PLANT YOUR FEET. (ASK ME TO DEMONSTRATE IF YOU AREN'T SURE WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT.)

LEARN YOUR LINES!

PROJECT YOUR VOICES!  USE CRISP DICTION -- IN A MASK, IT IS HARDER TO UNDERSTAND YOU SO YOU MUST FOCUS ON COMMUNICATION WITH THE AUDIENCE!

EXPECT PEOPLE TO LAUGH WHEN NO ONE HAS LAUGHED BEFORE!  AUDIENCES ARE STRANGE AND THEY MIGHT FIND THINGS FUNNY THAT YOU DON'T.  IF THEY LAUGH, IT'S A COMEDY.  (That's an old saying.)

YOU MUST BE READY FOR YOUR CUES.  DON'T ALLOW YOURSELF TO BE DISTRACTED.  DON'T GO OUT INTO THE HALLWAY AND FORGET THAT YOU HAVE A SCENE.  (You know who you are.)  YOU HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO THE REST OF THE CAST AND CREW.

CREW:

Wear black for all the shows.  If you don't have black clothes, you can find lots in the prop room.

Someone needs to be on the headset on both wings at all times.  You need to communicate with the booth.

Don't run when you're changing the set.  Just walk swiftly and purposefully.

Make sure the actors return their props to the prop tables.  Don't let them leave the theatre until they do that.

Add any changes to the prop list backstage.

Turn off the trouble lights at the end of the show.  (They get hot!)

SCENE BY SCENE NOTES:

Scene 1:  I have changed my mind about having the lockers on stage in scene 1!  (Director's prerogative!)  Let's cover them completely with the leg and change the set for scene 1b.  We will use Madeline's suggestion (Vampire Weekend) for the music.  Madeline, can you add that to the playlist?   Chastain,  Tan, Graves, Paramedics -- put your hair in buns.  Wear dark shoes, dark pants and white shirts.

When you get the water, Adelaide, can you just pull your mask down briefly to drink?  That is the only time anyone should actually drink anything.  Narin, we need to wash the glass every day before the show in soapy water.

Voices -- be confident about calling out.  Be prepared that some audience members might join in.  If they do, react a bit, Adelaide.

Mom and Alex -- great with the muffling of Mom in the stair well.

Chastain -- you must focus on projecting your voice.  It is essential that we hear you!

Scene 2:  Don't turn your phone on until the lights start to go up.

Do you have a more threatening t-shirt, Jason?  Make the "your crazy parents are screwed" threatening.

Think of what cues you.  Listen to the other actor.

Scene 3:  Make sure you have money, jewelry, guns!

React to Alex's weirdness.  DO NOT DROP YOUR VOICES!

Scene 4:  Tuck in your blouse neatly, Mom.

Mom and Dad, react when she says "remember" that you promised her a cat.  Did you promise her a cat?  Is she telling the truth?

Scene 5:  Counter should be in front of steps.  We need mugs for everyone (3).

When you come back in, Mom, have your hair up and carry a briefcase.

Mom, don't forget the line -- I'm not telling you, I'm telling Addy.

Scene 6:  Lift up your face, Mr. Clarendon.  We want to see you.  Sit straight in the chair.  (I could see your left leg under the desk, stretched out!)

He needs a box of tissues on his desk.

Adelaide needs a bag of weed and "blunts" to share with Jessica.

Scene 7:

Lou-Lou -- make the "Adeline" word VERY LOUD AND PURPOSEFUL.

We need cups for Lou-Lou and Mom.

Gang don't move or watch Lou-Lou scene.

Gang- do you have edgier t-shirts?

Great scene -- well executed.

Scene 8:  

Chastain -- never drop eye contact with her.  Make her look down.

PROJECT!

Make the silences full of tension.

Scene 9:

Zip up the jacket, Officer Tan.

We should not see you standing in the landing.  You need to be further down in the stairwell before you make your entrance. 

Scene 10:  Don't come out until it's dark.

Jason, don't tap your feet as you speak.

Scene 11:  Carissa, will you be able to actually make some muffins?  (If not, I will buy some.)

Hilary -- I really like the two faced quality of your voice.  You're nice to Adelaide, but not to your own kid.

Scene 12:  Don't come from the stage to the audience.  Go around to the front doors.

Voices:  You cannot be shy.  You need to yell out aggressively.

Adelaide:  Say "at this very moment?" looking out at the audience.

Adelaide:  Great on "It's what I want you to believe"

Scene 13:

Clapper!  Where were you?

Carissa:  She said Jason was afraid of the electric chair.  (Check your script.)

Good with Bible.

Voices:  Boo Hoo needs to be stronger, louder, nastier.

Jason, where were you in this scene?  You have a responsibility to fulfill to the show and you have "dropped the ball" here.

Scene 13:

Remember!  Many of you have lines in this scene that you are not doing.  I will not be able to yell out your line during the show and this is the last scene, so it is vital that you remember and yell out loudly, or the play will end weakly which is a disaster.  Again, Jason, you were not there -- very disappointing.

Nice final speech, Adelaide.  Be prepared that some audience members might yell out when you ask if they believe you.  Be prepared to react.

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Next week will be very busy for all of us.  I will send an email to your teachers telling them that you will be missing B Block on Wednesday and D Block on Thursday.  Wednesday is Connections Conference Day and the timing is different than we expected.  The show will start at 1:45 -- you should be in the theatre at 12:45.  For each show, when you arrive, let Hannah or Narin know.

Journals for November 26

 Drama 8:   How well do you work with others?  (Rate yourself on a scale with 1 being not good at all and 5 being terrific!)  What are some skills you have that help you work with a group?  What areas do you need to improve?  Are you a good leader?  Explain why or why not.  Write about an experience you had working in a group and explain what you learned from it.  (It doesn't have to be a good experience.  Sometimes we learn from bad experiences, too.)

Drama 9/10:  A police officer comes to your door and says you have to leave your home in five minutes.  What do you do?  (If you don't have a plan, you should come up with one!)  How do you think you would feel?  (Several of your heritage stories have this plot idea and you need to empathize with the people who lived it and right now in BC, people have had that experience and we should empathize with them, too.)

Senior Drama:  Write a short poem or paragraph about a metaphor for your theme.

If your theme was "education" and your metaphor was "education is a bumpy road", you could write about that.

I walked along the road and some of it was washed away.

I learned to build a bridge.

I crossed the bridge and walked along.

There was a man standing there who said I could not pass.

I learned to fight.

I defeated him and walked along.

The wind blew hard and held me back.

I learned to persevere.

A child stood at the side of the road.  "Stop!  I'm lost!"

I learned to help.

I reached the end of the road.  My dear ones were there.  They held out their arms.

I learned to rest.

Lies, Lies and More Lies

 Opening night for "Lies, Lies and More Lies" is November 30!  If you or your family want tickets, you can buy them in advance at the theatre door, or let Ms. Kosar know and she will reserve tickets for you.  We can only have 60 audience members, because of COVID restrictions, so make sure you plan in advance to see the show!  We will have two other evening shows -- December 2 and 3 at 7 p.m.  Don't miss this shocking and dramatic event -- our first live performance in 2 years!!

Drama 9/10 and English 11:  We will see the show in the matinees next week -- B Block on Wednesday and D Block on Thursday.  Bring $5 to pay for your ticket!  Obviously, Ms. Kosar will expect that you will write about the show, so make sure you come and pay close attention.

Journals for November 19, 2021

Senior Drama: Choose another group's theme.  What do you know?  What would you like to know?  Comment on one group's mime.

Drama 8: What should Ms. Kosar know about you?  (Here are some things you should cover -- what experience do you have in Drama?  Did you do any drama in elementary school?  Extra classes?  Do you have stage fright?  Don't worry if you do -- that's natural.  What do you expect to get out of drama class?  How is it going so far?)

Tell the story of your mime in three sentences or LESS.

Drama 9/10:  What is your opinion on whether you should be able to say ANYTHING in your scenes?  Explain your answer.  Describe the inner workings of your group (things that Wendy and Ms. Kosar might not know about).

English 11:

Debating:  Choose your topic and put it in the form of a statement. 

"Disneyland is the happiest place on earth."

lst person (Affirmative):  This person introduces the topic and defines the terms.  They make points to support the idea that Disneyland is, indeed, the happiest place on earth.  (Surveys taken as people exit show that everyone is pleased with their time at Disneyland.  It is the most popular amusement park in the world.   These are the kinds of things you might say.)  

1st person (Negative):  If you don't like the definitions given by the 1st person for the affirmative, you may re-define the terms.  This person will counter the claims of the 1st person for the affirmative.  (Surveys taken a month after coming home from Disneyland show that people do not remember the experience fondly.   If there is time, this speaker may also introduce new points that demonstrate that Disneyland is not the happiest place on earth.  (The line-ups for rides and entertainment made many people feel as if they were being exploited by the Disneyland corporation.)

2nd person (Affirmative):  This person should also have at least two new points to make in addition to their being able to counter the points made by the 1st person (negative).

2nd person (Negative):  This person will make a strong conclusion, reiterating the strongest points for the negative and countering any new points made by the 2nd person (Affirmative).  If you have time, you may make a new point, but it is risky to leave new points until the end.

Each speaker will get one minute to make their speech.  Only the 1st person for the affirmative can have a completely prepared speech, because the other speakers must include time to dispute the views of the other speakers. (You should take notes while the other people are speaking and you may have a brief interlude to discuss your strategy with your partner.) 

After the initial presentation by the four speakers, they may ask questions of the other speakers.  (An example of this could be:

Jan (in her initial speech):  Photographs of visitors to Disneyland show that 80% of them are smiling 80% of the time. 

Dan:  If your photographic evidence is correct,  20% of the visitors to Disneyland are not smiling 20% of the time.  My research shows that visitors to Stanley Park in Vancouver smile 90% of the time!  And that's 100% of the guests.  Is Stanley Park actually the happiest place on earth?

Then, Jan gets a chance to respond.)

After four minutes (at most) of questions among debaters, the audience may ask questions.  Then the audience will decide who was most convincing.  The audience should focus on who made the best arguments and made the strongest case and not whether they agree with the speakers or not.

I hope that helps!

 

Lest We Forget

 Remembrance Schedule

PLT:  8:30 - 9:20 Grade 8's rehearsing Aesop

PLT:  9:20 - 10:10 Grade 8's rehearsing Aesop

10:20 - 11:50:  A Block

11:50 - 12:40 - Remembrance Ceremony

Lunch 12:40 - 1:25

1:30 - 3:00 -- B Block

BRING $2 FOR THE POPPY FUND!  WEAR YOUR POPPY RESPECTFULLY.

Theatre Production -- Sound and Light Show

 You need to develop an idea for a sound and light show.  The purpose of the show is to demonstrate your technical expertise, so it should not be a simple matter of turning the lights on and off and playing a piece of music.  You will need lighting effects and both music and sound effects.

Try to think outside the box.  The theatre loves a metaphor and remember the rule that you must "show, not tell."  You may base your scene on a song or a poem which is a good place to start.

You may use actors or just one actor.  You can write dialogue for them, but you could also focus your performance on mime and tableau.  The acting isn't as important as your technical expertise!

You will need a sketch of your set (even if it is an empty stage).

You will need to prepare a light and sound plot with your cues written on the plot.

Make a list of props if you are using them.  Think of what your actors should wear and have them dress that way when your scene is performed.

You can run your ideas past me in your journal if you like.

Argumentative Synthesis Essay plan

 You should have shared your thesis statement with me already.  If you have not done so,  make sure you show me today.  It should take a strong stand, not be too verbose and include the reference items you intend to use (in the first paragraph).

I would like to see an outline of your essay today.  Bring a copy for me, so you can work on it over the weekend, if you like.

I will give you time in class next week to create your final draft.  

Take a look at the rubric that I provided here in the blog (on November 4) to see what is expected.

Journals for November 5, 2021

 Drama 8:  Which of the Aesop morals applies best to you?  Write a story about how you have learned or should learn that moral.

Drama 9:  Now that you have acted out all the heritage stories, you need to put the plays together.  What is your framework?  Who do you play in the framework?  How will you change the set-up from framework to story (think of something creative -- like music, like marching . . . )

Senior Drama:  What is your theme for the playbuilding project?  Why is the theme interesting to you?  What can you contribute to the plans for the presentation?  What do you already know about the theme?  What are two questions you have that you want to find out about?

Rubric for Synthesis Essay Writing

 Here is the link to a rubric for the synthesis essay from the English provincial exam for Grade 10 English.  It should give you an idea what they are looking for:

https://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/exams/specs/grade10/en/07_rubric.pdf

Life Satisfaction Essay -- English 11

 Think about all the material we have read about life satisfaction and also the discussion you had with your group.  You could also think about the poem, "Richard Cory".  Was he satisfied with his life?  Certainly, the people in the town thought he had it made.

You need to develop a thesis for your essay about life satisfaction.  I think mine would say something like "As long as you have work that you value and that demands your skill and talent, you will find satisfaction in your life."  This would appear in your opening paragraph.  You might also want to define the meaning (to you) of the word "satisfaction".  When you are synthesizing research or referencing source materials, you should mention them at the start as well -- "in the 'wheel of life' chart developed by Noomii, the assessment written by Eva, Rudy, Charlie and Krystal, and in the poem, "Warren Pryor" by Alden Nowlen, the emphasis on the value of work to a person's sense of satisfaction is clear".

Your three or four body paragraphs should use your reference material as evidence.  Write a strong topic  sentence for each paragraph that tells us what the paragraph is about.  Then explore the evidence that supports your thesis.  You can also dispute the alternative -- "Although some might suggest that a loving relationship is more important than work, most love relationships are fleeting, and good work can sustain a person throughout the loss of a loved one or the dissolution of a marriage or a friendship."

Your conclusion should appeal to the reader's emotions and convince them that you have proved your point.  "Richard Cory seemed to have it all, but the poem does not mention any work to which he was dedicated.  He had all the trappings of a successful life, but he was in despair.  Perhaps if he had been able to find work that challenged him and that made him feel worthwhile, he would not have met his untimely and tragic end."

Have your thesis statement ready to work on for Thursday!