Friday, November 30, 2012

ENGLISH – 2nd trimester – Day 5 

·         While I check homework: top half of “Handout 1 – The Prologue to Act One”

·         On a new piece of paper, paraphrase the first 3 lines of the Prologue…simplify the language to that it is easy to understand.

·         Together, we completed page 2 “Handout 1 - The Prologue to Act One” (taking notes on SONNETS)

·         Watched 8-minute video “Introduction to Shakespeare Tragedies” (re: Standard Deviants)

·         R&J Guinea Pig cartoon: http://www.musearts.com/cartoons/pigs/romeo.html

A contemporary sonnet 

Sonnet

by Billy Collins

All we need is fourteen lines, well, thirteen now,

and after this one just a dozen

to launch a little ship on love's storm-tossed seas,

then only ten more left like rows of beans.

How easily it goes unless you get Elizabethan

and insist the iambic bongos must be played

and rhymes positioned at the ends of lines,

one for every station of the cross.

But hang on here while we make the turn

into the final six where all will be resolved,

where longing and heartache will find an end,

where Laura will tell Petrarch to put down his pen,

take off those crazy medieval tights,

blow out the lights, and come at last to bed.

·         Begin homework:

·         On your own…

1.      Put each line of the Prologue into easy-to-understand language - do not simply define the challenging words.

§  Here’s a good way to paraphrase the first line: ‘Two families, who were equally rich and powerful.’

§  REMEMBER, a paraphrase is approximately the same length as the original.”

ENGLISH homework:  

Finish paraphrase of all 14 lines of the Prologue (use your definitions from last night to help)

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PLAYWRITING – Day 5

Make a list of what you have learned to be the key points to consider so far when writing a script for stage.

Read pages 289-293 – excerpts from The Complete Book of Scriptwriting

Watch videos: 

1. Simon Stone - What is Theatre Capable Of – TEDxSydney
2. 7th Annual Kids' Playwriting Festival - Highlights and Interviews with Winning Playwrights

PLAYWRITING homework:

Keeping in mind that an action must have 2 parts, and keeping a character in trouble, write a script about a character that includes 2 “actions”. Remember that we write not to be read but to be performed. 2 – 3 pages, handwritten.

 

Thursday, November 29, 2012

ENGLISH – 2nd trimester – Day 4 

Finish Case Study work from yesterday…COLLECTED 

Practice writing like Shakespeare/Yoda…with song lyrics! 

Read “Puzballs” paragraph and answered the 4 questions.
Discussed how it is possible to answer questions about a nonsensical paragraph.

Read “prior knowledge” paragraph. How much of it can you remember? Why is that?

Discussed similarities between Shakespeare and these two paragraphs. 

Looked at Shakespeare’s opening Prologue/sonnet to Romeo & Juliet by reading it many different ways. 

Begin homework: https://dl.dropbox.com/u/14512809/Prologue%20handout.pdf
 

ENGLISH homework:  

Complete first page (front side only) of “Handout 1 – The Prologue to Act One”

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PLAYWRITING – Day 4 

·        In order to perform our scripts from yesterday, we began our rehearsal in mime to figure out what the characters are going to DO…what they are going to ACT…the script will eventually tell them what they will get to say.

 

 PLAYWRITING homework: 

None

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

ENGLISH - 2nd trimester – Day 3

·         Find your classwork from yesterday and continue to DISAGREE with the last statement written.

o   Read what has been written so far.

o   Disagree with it by adding 2 additional sentences that begin with,

§  “But isn’t it also true that…”

·       Discussed the relative size of our individual and our collective worlds (according to geography (North/South/East/West) 

·       Discussed the tendency to NOT broaden our horizons…even in a safe place like the school cafeteria. Why would we choose the disadvantages over the advantages? We are going to start forming habits. Is avoiding people who are different/unknown to us going to be one of these life-long habits?

·         Introduced to Shakespeare’s use of unusual word order and its poetic advantage – re: “I ate the sandwich” 

·         Also likened this word order to the poetry of popular song lyrics and to Yoda from Star Wars

·         In Yoda-like fashion, reassemble one of today’s warm-up sentences to sound Shakespearean.

·        Began “Case Study” work (to finish AND COLLECT FOR GRADE). After reading one of the case studies…

1. Write down 3 reasonable solutions.
1. For each of your 3 solutions, write the 2 advantages and 2 disadvantages.
2. Decide which solution is best.
1. In 8 sentences, tell what is likely to happen after your solution is carried out. In other words, what is the ending to your story. It must be believable.

ENGLISH homework:  

None J

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PLAYWRITING  – Day 3

·         Choose another 1 of your 3 favorite dramatic actions from yesterday and complete the following:

o   Number a paper 10 – 1 (with 1 representing the beginning of a scene and 10 representing the end). Work backwards figuring out WHY each moment occurred. 

·         NEXT, develop this series of actions by answering the following questions about each:

1.      Who performed the actions?

2.      What does each action tell you about the person who performed it?

a.       Answer this question for all 5 actions.

·         Wrote a 10-line script about our day so far 

·         NOTES (by Kurt Vonnegut):

1. Every character should want something, even if it is only a glass of water.
2. Every sentence must do one of two things - reveal character or advance the action.
3. Start as close to the end as possible.
4. No matter how sweet and innocent your leading characters, make awful things happen to them - in order that the reader may see what they are made of.

·         Considering the notes above, revise or rewrite your script.

 

PLAYWRITING homework:

 

None.

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

ENGLISH – 2nd trimester – Day 2 

Collect homework:

·         signed Contact sheet (2nd page of Classroom Rules handout)

·         4 definitions

o   fill out a PINK sheet (on center table) if you don’t have it today for any reason. 

·         On a piece of paper, imagine that someone was ABSENT yesterday from this class. On your paper, explain to them how the drawing activity we did in class represented writing and reading. 

Complete the 20-question NO-COUNT pre-test for Trimester B. 

List 7 advantages and 7 disadvantages of meeting people who are different than you.

Pre-play Poll

1.      For each member of your table, choose an equal number of statements to work with. (ex. If your table has 7 people, choose 7 statements).

a.       Write each of these statements at the top of separate pieces of paper.

2.      Begin with a paper in front of each table member.

a.       Read the statement.

b.      Without repeating the statement, write down 3 sentences that explains why you personally either agree or disagree with it.

                                                              i.      When everyone is ready, pass your paper clockwise.

3.      With your new paper, read what has been written so far. Disagree with it by adding 2 additional sentences that begin with, “But isn’t it also true that…”

4.      Repeat step 3.

ENGLISH homework:  

Reminder: If you haven’t already, return Contact Information Sheet, signed.

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PLAYWRITING  – Day 2

Checked homework: List of 10 dramatic actions, actions you’ve witnessed or experienced from real life - actions such as a fistfight, or a marriage proposal, or a business maneuver.

List the differences between:

1. writing for the page (novels)
2. writing for the big screen (film)
3. writing for the stage (plays) 
1. pg. 297 - 321 (The Complete Book of Scriptwriting)
2. The Art & Craft of Playwriting (by Jeffery Hatcher) page 7.

                                                              i.      discuss 

Introduction to classroom and teacher...including rules and expectations

·         Discussed trust and the collaborative process.

·         Read from The Art & Craft of Playwriting (by Jeffery Hatcher) pages 7 – 8. 

ACTor vs TALKer followup: Interview with David Mamet from the Paris Review.

INTERVIEWER So to you a character is . . .

MAMET It’s action, as Aristotle said. That’s all that it is—exactly what the person does. It’s not what they “think,” because we don’t know what they think. It’s not what they say. It’s what they do, what they’re physically trying to accomplish on the stage. Which is exactly the same way we understand a person’s character in life—not by what they say, but by what they do. Say someone came up to you and said, I’m glad to be your neighbor because I’m a very honest man. That’s my character. I’m honest, I like to do things, I’m forthright, I like to be clear about everything, I like to be concise. Well, you really don’t know anything about that guy’s character. Or the person is onstage, and the playwright has him or her make those same claims in several subtle or not-so-subtle ways, the audience will say, Oh yes, I understand their character now; now I understand that they are a character. But in fact you don’t understand anything. You just understand that they’re jabbering to try to convince you of something.

Choose 3 of your favorite dramatic actions from your homework and complete the following: 

I.                   Develop your favorite 3 by answering the following questions about each:

1.      Who performed the actions?

2.      What did the actions tell you about the person who performed them?

3.      Were the actions part of a larger context, a larger situation?

a.       What did the actions tell you about that situation? About the world?

4.      What ideas about people, life, and the world strike you when you contemplate the meanings of these actions?

II.                Select one of the actions above. Write it down.

a.       What earlier action could have precipitated/caused this action?

b.      What reaction could follow it?

                                                              i.      You’re not writing a play here, but you are identifying actions that have the potential for dramatic action linkage.

 

PLAYWRITING homework: 

None

Monday, November 26, 2012

ENGLISH – 2^nd trimester – Day 1 

·         Read the Holstee manifesto: “This is your life…” To see a copy of the manifesto, click here: http://shop.holstee.com/pages/about

• Without looking, what do you remember from it?
• Every day will start with information on the monitors. Read it.
• Wrote a paragraph (5 sentences minimum) about a single line of the manifesto that related directly to our own life. COLLECTED

·         Get handout and paper:

• Introduction to classroom and teacher...including rules and expectations.
• Classroom blog
• Homework policy
• Tardies
• Tables and chairs
• Test

·      Described and drew what we heard and saw (on overhead) and compared that to writing and reading 

ENGLISH homework:  

·         Return Contact Information Sheet, signed.

·         Write out 4 definitions from letter

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PLAYWRITING  – Day 1 

·         Drew a blueprint of classroom – passed drawings around tables and added details. 

·         Made a list of all the plays we have seen and all the movies we have seen.

• Discussed one of the key differences between playwriting and screenwriting…the stage itself. Plays occur on stages, movies can happen anywhere and with many scene changes, sometimes many within a single minute.
• Chose a play and listed all the scene changes we could remember.

·         Discussed the correlation between our “blueprints” and playwriting. 

·         Discussed ACTors vs. TALKers…we will learn to write actions (not great speeches) 

·         Discussed how a line of dominoes is like the actions of a play. When one gets knocked down, the next one falls because of it, etc. 

·         Numbered a paper 10 – 1 ( with 1 representing the beginning of a scene and 10 representing the end). After being told that 10 was a character burning a steak, we worked backwards figuring out WHY each moment occurred: 

 

  

PLAYWRITNG homework:

Make a list of 10 dramatic actions - actions you’ve witnessed or experienced from real life - actions such as a fistfight, or a marriage proposal, or a brother running away from home, an arrest, a car accident, a state championship, an incredible loss, an incredible win.

Friday, November 16, 2012

ENGLISH - 1^st trimester – Day 52 

Read “The Necklace” from Literature book (pages 348 – 358)

                                                  i.      Discuss

 Took POST TEST

·         REVIEW from yesterday

                                                  i.      What is a word that proves something is written in

·         1^st person

·         2^nd person

·         3^rd person

                                                 ii.      Name 4 school subjects that get capitalized?

                                                iii.      Rewrite, then properly punctuate this sentence:

·       his girlfriend said you’re in big trouble

                                               iv.      How would you properly write out these book titles:

·         the blue moon

·         nutty zombie of terror

                                                 v.      Write a sentence that needs a direction (north, south, east, west) to be capitalized and another sentence that doesn’t need to be capitalized.

                                               vi.      We make words plural by adding –s or –ies to words.

·         List 4 exceptions?

·         How do we make these two words plural?  

a.       “brother-in-law” and “attorney-at-law”

                                              vii.      We add apostrophes to words to show possession.

·         What if a car belongs to both Carol and Sue?

a.       Carol and Sue car got a flat tire.

·         Review AUTHOR’S PURPOSE and Fact vs. opinion

                   

Finish the Practice Exam and Study Guide 

ENGLISH homework: 

Use study guide to review for exam. 

For online practice, try these links:

·         Apostrophe practice: http://www.usingenglish.com/quizzes/39.html

·         Plural practice: http://www.usingenglish.com/quizzes/288.html

o   And http://www.usingenglish.com/quizzes/391.html

·         Author’s Purpose: http://www.thatquiz.org/tq/practicetest?TUAG7034

·         Fact or Opinion: http://cuip.uchicago.edu/www4teach/97/jlyman/default/quiz/factopquiz.html

 REMINDER: Turn in English books on exam day (if you do not have English Tri 2)

Thursday, November 15, 2012

ENGLISH - 1^st trimester – Day 51 

If you haven’t already, turn in classwork from yesterday (“Thank You, M’am” questions and drawings) 

Put the 5 steps on the writing process in order…then write down the difference between revising and editing.

• Drafting
• Editing
• Revising
• Prewriting
• Publishing

Why don’t writers always write chronologically? For each of the 5 organizational methods listed below, tell when you think a writer would choose it when writing an essay? In other words, what might the writer be writing about?

1. Chronological order
2. Spatial order (“space”)
3. Cause and effect
4. Comparison/Contrast
5. Order of importance   

·         Who vs. whom – TAKE NOTES

o   TRICK: substitute “him” for “whom” and “he” for “who”

§  (watch video)

·         Take POST test (1^st hour only) 

·         (Hours 3, 4, 5) Reviewed concepts to be covered on exam…get notes from a classmate if you were absent

·         Begin Practice Exam (and Study Guide - if time) 

ENGLISH homework: 

·         If you will NOT be here tomorrow, read “The Necklace” from Literature book pages 348 – 358 

·         Use study guide to review for exam. 

·         REMINDER: Turn in English books on exam day (if you do not have English Tri 2)

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

ENGLISH - 1^st trimester – Day 50

1.      While I check homework (chart of 40) and without being asked, come on up and fix one of the sentences below…you get to use the special pen!!

2.      Discuss “Exam Review Guide”

3.      Watched 2 short videos of “Thank You, M’am”

a.       Discuss what you think Roger (from “Thank You, M’am”) wanted to say (but didn’t) at the end of the story besides, “Thank you, M’am.”

4.      Reviewed short story “Thank You, M’am” in Literature book pgs. 134 – 140

5.      WORKING WITH A PARTNER and ON A SEPARATE PAPER: 

1. Explain how the following quote relates to “Thank You, M’am”:
1. “There is within me (and it is with sadness I have watched it in others) a knot of cruelty”
2. With partner: 2 PICTURES AND 2 PARAGRAPHS:
1. Draw and explain: What might have happened to Roger that created his knot? (in his past)

                                                               i.      What did he do with his knot?

                                                              ii.      What was the outcome of this?

2. Draw and explain: What’s another choice Roger could have made given the same past/background, same situation, but a different choice?

                                                               i.      What might the outcome of that have been?

3. From what point-of-view is this story told? (1^st, 2^nd, 3^rdomniscient, 3^rd limited, 3^rd objective)
4. What was Mrs. Jones’s motive in leaving the door open when she dragged Roger to her room?
5. Why does Mrs. Jones not watch Roger or watch her purse?
6. Roger decides something in the story that marks the story’s turning point.  What did he decide to do?
7. Using the text, list the details that are mentioned about the setting of Mrs. Jones’s home.
8. What does the setting of Mrs. Jones’s home tell us about the kind of person she probably is?
9. Using the text, list the details that are mentioned about Roger’s home life?
10. From what Roger tells Mrs. Jones, what can you infer about his home life?
11. Using the text, directly quote Mrs. Jones when she says something that surprises Roger.
12. What characters don’t say can be as important as what they do say.  List two points in the story when Mrs. Jones and Roger are silent
13. Using the information in question #12, explain why you think each character chose not to speak.
14. Give a specific example of an action done by Mrs. Jones that reveals one of her character traits.
15. What do you think Roger learned from the way Mrs. Jones treated him?
16. What overall impression do you have of Roger by the end of the story?
17. What is the theme of this story?
1. List three important events or details that suggest the story’s theme.

ENGLISH homework:

Use study guide to review for exam.

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

ENGLISH - 1^st trimester – Day 49

REMINDER: If you did not turn in your essay yesterday, turn it into the top tray at my desk. 

1. (The last one started on this warm-up is a rotten egg):
1. While I take attendance, write out how the story “Thank You, Ma’m” would have been different if one of your friends from school played the role of Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones?
2. What would have changed if the story took place in Rockford?
1. (Literature book pgs. 134 – 140)
3. Pick up Exam Review Guide (on center table)
1. Review
4. Rewrite the following sentences so that the meaning is clear:
1. He saw the deer using his binoculars.
2. Walking along the beach, a rock scraped my foot.
3. Juana only has algebra three days this week.
5. Take notes on modifiers…
1. Took notes on Dangling and Misplaced Modifiers (in Writer’s Choice book pgs. 670-671)
6. Practiced fixing sentences with misplaced and dangling modifiers
7. Reviewed notes from our Literary Terms packet (Direct and Indirect Characterization)
8. Brief overview of the five boroughs of New York - also looked specifically at the borough of Manhattan and Harlem’s whereabouts (in preparation for short story “Thank You, M’am” which takes place in Harlem):
1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:5_Boroughs_Labels_New_York_City_Map_Julius_Schorzman.png
2. http://nymag.com/realestate/articles/03/realestate2003/neighborhood_map.htm
9. Listen to “Thank You, M’am” (approx. 10 minutes) which takes place in the Harlem section of the borough of Manhattan (Literature book pgs. 134 – 140)
1. As you listen, make a chart for the 2 characters that lists 10 direct and 10 indirect characterizations for each. 40 ITEMS TOTAL – to be collected tomorrow

ENGLISH homework: 

Finish chart for the 2 characters in “Thank You, Ma’am” that lists 10 direct and 10 indirect characterizations for each. 40 ITEMS TOTAL – due tomorrow 

Use study guide to review for exam.