More Presentations and a CRA

We began the day by wrapping up the Oedipus presentations we started yesterday. After some discussion of theme, we concluded the period with our second CRA (see below).

The Oedipus timed writing has been postponed until Monday, 9/27.

HW: Finish CRA if necessary. Due 9/24.
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Term Paper: Apostrophe & Stichomythia

Choose either your stichomythia/antilabe example or the example of apostrophe from the warm up, and write a formal CRA paragraph. Your paragraph should address the theme and/or tone of the passage, should begin with a clear topic sentence (see below) and include direct references to the passage and quotations where appropriate.

Stichomythia All Day

Today we took a long look at stichomythia, starting with a warm-up, moving into some group work and wrapping up the day with some informal presentations based on the work in groups. We'll wrap up the presentations tomorrow.

Swift, Allusion, & Apostrophe

We started the day looking a bit of irony by Jonathon Swift. Then we reviewed allusion, stichomythia, and antilabe, before writing a bit and talking a bit on the apostrophes in one of Oedipus's speeches. (See below.)

"Paying special attention to his use of apostrophe, examine Oedipus’ long speech near the end of the play (page 99 in the Cambridge translation) in which he explores the crimes against him. What are the effects of the apostrophe on the meaning of Oedipus’ speech and perhaps on the meaning of the work as a whole?"

HW: Find and mark one interesting example of stichomythia and/or antilabe for class tomorrow.

Oedipal Irony

After a short quiz and some discussion of the play in general, we focused on the examples of irony that the students found for homework. We wrapped up the period with a definition of stichomythia.

Good News x2

Upon further internet digging, I found this simpler online text of Oedipus the King: http://records.viu.ca/~johnstoi/sophocles/oedipustheking.htm If the link doesn't work, I linked to it at MoodleHub as well.

Also, in a fit of benevolence, I have decided that the online irony assignment isn't due until Wednesday before class, so focus on Oedipus and its irony this weekend.

Enjoy the weekend! (Looks like some good reading weather.)

Mr. Staiano

The Greeks and Irony

Today we finished the introduction to the Greeks we began yesterday and spent the rest of the day talking about three types of irony: situational, dramatic, and verbal.

HW

• Read Oedipus Rex and note on a separate sheet one example of each type of irony as you do so. Due Monday.
• Do the Irony Assignment at MoodleHub. Due 9/22.

Picture Day and the Greeks

We sandwiched a bit of an intro to the Greeks, Sophocles and Oedipus Rex around school pictures.

New Due Dates:

• Read Oedipus Rex by 9/20
• Oedipus PC & SG tentatively scheduled for 9/24

Timed Writing #1

Today, after handing in study guides for A Doll's House, we spent a few moments dissecting the prompt and considering our approach to the task. The remainder of the period was spent writing.

Theme and the Study Guide

Today we focused a bit on theme and then spent the rest of t5he day going over the second page of the study guide.


First pressure comp tomorrow. Bring your completed study guide.

The Study Guide

We began the day writing a brief summary of Ibsen's play and spent the rest of the day working through page one of the study guide.

New Due Dates:

• A Doll's House PC and SG, 9/15 (tentatively)
• Have Oedipus Tyrannus, 9/16

Stuff and Character

After a bit of writing about the title of A Doll's House, we had a look at a few exemplary CRA paragraphs from Neruda's "The Three Lilies," and wrapped up by adding some character terms to the notes (flat, round, static, and dynamic).

Wednesday

We began the day with a very brief quiz on the first act of A Doll's House. We then discussed act 1, focusing primarily on gender roles, foreshadowing, and symbols and motifs in Ibsen's text. We wrapped up the period with a short paragraph highlighting activity using the "Three Lilies" CRA from last week. I collected these.

A Quiz and A Doll's House

Today we began the day with a short quiz on the "Reading and Responding to Literature" article. After taking some notes on the article and discussing it for much of the period, we had a brief introduction to A Doll's House.

HW Read Act 1 of A Doll's House by 9/8 and finish it by Friday.

Finally the Course Description

Today we briefly discussed our definitions of "literature" and literary merit" and then spent much of the period on the course description. We wrapped up the day by writing our first CRA paragraph of Neruda's "The Three Lilies."

The Write-Up
Choose ONE element of Jan Neruda’s short story.
Write a single-paragraph analysis of the passage that reflects on this element and how it contributes to theme and/or tone. 
Your paragraph should begin with a clear statement of purpose (topic sentence):

• Through… Neruda creates… 
• By… Neruda explores…

Be sure to support your assertion with copious examples/quotations from the story.
HW Read "Reading and Responding to Literature" at the online course. Take notes and prepare for a short quiz.

"The Three Lilies"

Today we did the first step of a close reading analysis of Jan Neruda's "The Three Lilies." We were going to write about it, but once we talked through the analysis there was no time to write. Writing tomorrow.

We began a warm-up about theme and its relation to the stories we have been working with. After some housekeeping (collecting honor statements, announcing the next few books, revisiting my quest for a TA, etc.), we spent the rest of the period discussing "This is what it means to say Phoenix, Arizona."

HW: Reread "The Three Lilies" for tomorrow.

Hemingway and Foster: A Meeting of Minds

Today we made name tags, finished our discussion of Blake's Newton and had a rather far-ranging discussion of Hemingway's "A Canary for One" and Foster.

New Due Dates:
For 9/1, Read/Reread "This is What it Means to say Phoenix, Arizona"
For Friday, do the "Literature/Literary Merit" Assignment at the course website.

Welcome to AP

Today we filled our short period with a multi-part analytical activity. Tomorrow we will continue discussion of the painting we wrote about today.

New Due Dates:

• Read or Reread Hemingway's "A Canary for One" Due 8/31
• Read the Course Description (distributed today) Due 9/3
• Find, Print, Sign, & Return the AP Honor Statement at our course website Due 9/3

AP Lit Summer Assignment Part 4

By now most all of you have successfully logged in to our new moodle site and posted to the initial Foster forum. I must say that I have enjoyed reading your posts and have had trouble not commenting myself, but there will be time enough for that later. I especially appreciate those of you who have read and posted widely. Though I often only require one or two posts per forum, those who engage more seriously with the forums inevitably find them more valuable. Feel free to keep posting to this first forum though the due date has passed.

Several of you have already started on the second Foster forum (due the 14th). Remember that this second forum requires each of you to post twice, one observation to begin a thread and at least one comment on another's observation. As of this evening, I have also opened the final piece of the summer assignment (due the 27th at 3:15 p.m.). Have a look and let me know if you have any questions. I hope you enjoy the stories I have chosen.

Finally, it seems time to make a note on late work. Some of you have not yet posted to the first Foster forum; it is not too late. Late work is better than no work both intellectually and as it regards your grade.
May this find you enjoying the last weeks of your summer, despite the grey weather, and perhaps even looking forward to the start of your senior year.

First Assignments Due 8/7 & 8/14

Well, it's August already and time to, slowly, start thinking about school. By now you should have started Foster's text in anticipation of finishing sometime in the next couple of weeks. Your next two assignments are posted online and simply require you to post to two different discussion boards in response to How to Read Literature Like a Professor.

This brings me to some other news. Many of you have figured out that our online course has moved. My long partnership with Global Classroom is coming to an end and our class will now be hosted by Key to School.

If you already registered at Global Classroom, simply surf to http://eurekahigh.moodlehub.com/ and use your old log in information at the new site.

If you have not yet registered, ignore the directions on the assignment handout, and use these:

1. Surf to http://eurekahigh.moodlehub.com/
2. Click on AP English Literature on the left under "Available Courses."
3. Click the "Create new account" button on the right.
4. Fill out the form that comes up and submit it.
5. Check your email and follow the link in the email you receive (check in your spam folder if it doesn't show up fairly quickly).
6. Once you've followed the link, enter the enrollment key "Loggers" and click the "Enroll me in this course" button.

And that's all there is to it. Have a look around and get to work on the Foster assignments.

Let me know if you have any problems with the website or otherwise. I look forward to hearing your thoughts on Foster.

Enjoy August.