Homework 4/20

Good afternoon. I hope that you all had a restful break and are ready to work hard over the next three weeks. For tonight's homework, I would like you to read Coleridge's poem, "Kubla Khan." This is an extremely famous poem, and one for which I hope you develop an appreciation. Please attempt to employ one of the strategies from class today to help break the poem down. These are designed to help you when you get to the actual exam. In the end, you will use what works for you. Umberto Eco claimed in "Six Walks in the Fictional Woods," that "every text is a lazy machine asking the reader to do some of its work." So, you have to do the work to get the "lazy machine" to operate.

As far as some of the upcoming assignments, please be prepared to spend at least half the day (if not more) working on AP prep. This may include entire days of working in the AP prep guides, or having free periods to meet with you individually and allow you to develop your own study guides and lessons. In other words, you need decide what your weaknesses are. We will discuss tomorrow in class. Have a good night.

Essay for Frankenstein

Hello. I hope that you are enjoying the break thus far. At this point, you should all have finished the story. While I disagree with one student's theory that knowing the prompt is needed to guide the reading, I do appreciate one's desire to know the assignment for one's own peace of mind. I do apologize for not posting some reading guides as promised. I was literally out of touch with technology until late last night. I will attach a link to Shelley so that you can have a chance to check it out before Monday. 

Here is the assignment. In a well-organized, two page essay, please respond to the following:

Mary Shelley's story raises serious issues about the pros and cons of the progress of science.  It also addresses the classic literary conflict between passion (desire for something) and responsibility ( a moral duty). Write an essay in which you discuss Shelley's short novel as it relates to the above issues. In what ways does Shelley's story act as a warning for man? What elements or devices help Shelley convey her message(s)? How does the story present a universal theme? Moral dilemma for society?

If you have questions, or concerns, please email me, comment here. Enjoy the rest of your break. The next few days actually look nice.

Homework 4/7

Good evening. For tonight, I would like you to read William Wordsworth's "Lines Composed a Few Miles Above Tintern Abbey" (link provided). Please read the poem and use today's handout as a guide to understanding the basics. You should print it out and analyze it for meaning, paying special attention to the use of literary devices. Be prepared to discuss the poem with a partner and as a whole group tomorrow. In addition, we may  get a chance to work with the Hamlet essays in class.

When we return from break, I am going to assign additional poems by each author. Your job will be to locate, print, and read three additional poems by each author we explore in class. You will keep a journal of these poems and analyze each. I will provide you with a handout on the assignment when we return. Since we have read William Blake, you should begin by finding three additional poems by him and read them over the break. I will discuss in class tomorrow. 

In addition, I will once again put you in groups, and your group will be responsible for leading a class discussion on an author and one or two of his/her poems. Again, this will begin after the break.

Finally, for break homework, you will be reading Frankenstein. I will provide you with links and criticism. Your assignment will be a two page essay that will be due the day we return from spring break. This will be provided within the first few days of the vacation.

have a good night

Homework 4/6

For homework tonight, I would like you to read the handout on the Romantic Period. While reading, please annotate the text. This should help us begin to understand the mindset of the poets of that time. Please read William Blake's "The Chimney Sweeper" and "Introduction." Annotate the poems. I have attached the poems to the blog. Please bring a copy with you to class.

Also, begin to organize your work for the AP exam. Gather materials, study aids, handouts, flash cards, etc. Begin making a schedule for yourself. You should be studying and practicing your writing each night. Have a good night.

Sunday Comments

I apologize for not posting Friday. This has been a crazy weekend, and I was literally out the entire time. In any case, just a reminder about the Hamlet logs. As you know they are due tomorrow. So, I hope that you had a chance to work on them this weekend. 

As far as next week goes, it is going to be a a short one. I will probably assign a book over the break. I am not sure what it will be, but it will be short and it manageable for the 11 day break. We will discuss tomorrow. Also, please remember to type up your timed write. We will do some work on that essay tomorrow. 

Okay, that's it, see you tomorrow. Enjoy the last few hours of your weekend. 

Homework 4/1

For this evening, I will not assign any homework to be due tomorrow. However, you should be working on your log for Hamlet. The due date for this assignment is Monday, April 6th. I do not want to accept late work for this, so please work hard to get it completed by then. Tomorrow, we will do some additional work for Hamlet during period 5 and move to a timed write for period 6. I will assign the final I.R. book next week and we will begin a new unit soon. Have a good night.

Homework 3/30

First of all, let me thank the group for presenting today and giving a well-planned interpretation of the scene. I know it was not easy to do this with so few class members contributing to the discussion portion. As I have stated many times, it is absolutely essential that you be prepared for class. I had the feeling, that many of you were not. It was nice to have Mr. Marx give an interactive presentation of the scene as well. It seems like it would be a fun way to teach Hamlet.

For this evening, please read the first part of 5.2. We will not do much with it tomorrow, but we will finish up with 5.1 and do a timed write on Hamlet. I will also give you the rest of the answers to the M/C so that you can add them to your tracking sheet. For Wednesday, both groups presenting should be prepared to present.

When we are finished with Hamlet, we will possibly get to see a version of it, especially for those who did not make it to the play. Have a good night. We will be starting a new Independent reading assignment soon. 

Weekend Homework: 3/28/-3/29

For this weekend, I would like you to read act 5 scene 1. There is a group presenting Monday, and I have asked Mr. Marx to come in and lead a class discussion on the scene. So, please be prepared with ideas, questions, and comments, as Marx is doing this as a favor, and on his time off. So, let's be prepared.

Thanks to all who came out to the play last night. I hope you enjoyed it. My class was extremely mature and responsible and excellent representatives of the school. For those who will see it next week, I think it will be an enjoyable experience for you. It is a treat to see these classically trained actors perform these rich scenes live and a mere eight feet away. 

We will finish up Hamlet next week, and then re-visit some key scenes and and focus on some key ideas from the play. I will have some handouts as well as some additional information for us to review. We will also, begin to look forward to the poetry unit and more focus on the exam. We are definitely winding down. Have a good weekend.

Homework 3/26

Good afternoon, I realize that tonight is parent/teacher night in the city, but I do need you to read 4.7 for homework. We have a group presenting and we need to be prepared to discuss the literature with them.



Thanks to all for the participation during the early part of the class. I think Mr. Marx enjoyed the discussion and was impressed with all of your insight and critical thought. Please continue to bring your ideas with you to class.



Finally, please make sure to read the handouts that I gave you today. These are important materials as you prepare for the test. It does you no good not to give full attention to the essays and explanations, as their sole purpose is to illuminate possible problem areas and deficiencies in your own writing, and to give you privileged insight into the minds of the AP readers. Pleae give them the consideration they deserve. Have a good night. See some of you later.

Homework 3/25

Thanks to today's group for presenting. Very insightful and creative. Good class discussion followed. Nicely done. For the others, it is your responsibility - as well as a class requirement - to contribute to the discussions. A large part of any AP class is the opportunity for academic discourse. This is what you signed on for. Please continue to come prepared to discuss.

For this evening, I would like you to read the very short 4.6. We will have an activity in class tomorrow. In addition, please hand in the Genesis work I asked you to do the other night. Some handed it in, but I do not think it was officially collected. 

We will spend the second period tomorrow working on the rest of the multiple choice. 

On Friday, we will only have 38 minutes together, not really enough time to do anything in depth. I will ask that the group presenting 4.7 to still plan to present. If we begin immediately, we should be able to get it in. It is not an extremely long scene. Do your best. If a large number of students will not be in attendance, I will have to make a change. Have a good night.

Homework 3/23

For tonight, I would like you to read the handout on Genesis 1-4. You should conduct a close reading of the the text and do you best to consider it as literature. Once you have read it, I would like you to write about the biblical allusions we have seen so far in Hamlet. What biblical allusions can you identify in in the play? Please find as many as you can, record them on separate paper, and bring them in for discussion tomorrow. We will work on that, 4.4 and regroup to work on more multiple choice questions. I will put the answers up tomorrow. Have a good evening.

Late Work and grades

I hope that all is well and that you have all read 4.1, 4.2, and 4.3. Please be prepared for the second presentation and subsequent discussion in class tomorrow. 

I encourage all of you to look at your snapgrades and evaluate it for accuracy. If I have made a mistake, I need to know about it. It is unacceptable to see the kind of grades that I am seeing for this marking period. The problem with not doing your work when it is assigned is that the work you hand in late tends to be weak, rushed, and merely an inadequate substitute for what should have been a well organized and provocative response to literature. While this is not always the case, it does seem that, more often than not, it is. Just handing in "something" may be the barometer by which we measure success in a regular class, but in AP lit. much more is expected of you . Your education is your responsibility. You will get out of it exactly what you put in. In addition, I simply do not have the time to assess your work carefully and adequately.

While I understand that an occasional missed assignment is necessary, receiving an entire body of work at the end of a marking period is really unacceptable. It does neither of us any good to do our work this way.

If you are failing, please see me tomorrow. Grades are due Tuesday morning. I will have to call parents and discuss this, but I would prefer to discuss it with you first.  

Homework 3/19

First of all, I want to thank Judith, Jasmine, Lorin, and Priyal. They gave an excellent presentation and ran a lively and informative class discussion. You really set the bar high. The next group will present Act 4 scenes, 1,2,&3 on Monday.

For tonight, please read 4.1. We will not discuss Hamlet in class tomorrow. Rather, we will do reading logs for the first part of the class and the second half will be spent on a 37 question multiple choice diagnostic based on Hamlet. So, please bring your logs and be prepared to work. I am not offering a free period, but rather a chance to use class time to get caught up on your Hamlet logs. I may even try to do writing conferences during period 5. 

Still many who have not paid the AP fee. Please see me if you cannot pay it tomorrow. Have a good night. NCAA tournament started today. Enjoy.

Homework 3/18

Tonight's homework is to read 3.4 in Hamlet. Tomorrow, we will Have a presentation from the first group. They will present 3.4. For the rest of us, please read the scene closely, and be prepared to contribute to a lively discussion with the presenting group. The presenters are not the only people with a responsibility. The rest of the class has an obligation to come prepared and ready to discuss the literature. For tomorrow, we will switch the periods around, so that Hamlet will be discussed in period 6. The first part of the class will be spent working with your essays or doing AP prep. 

A few other things. If you look back at the post from 3/9 you will see that I asked for the next five reading cards to be turned in by today. Since I did not remind you, I will extend that out until Friday. If you do not have five, do what you can. Thanks. 

Lastly, for those who have not paid for the AP exam, the last day to do so is Friday. Please see me tomorrow of you have not already paid. I have a list and there are more than a few names on it. Remember, if you do not take the exam, we need to start talking research paper. I am assuming that you are planning to pay, or waiting to see if you qualify for free. Just do me a favor and see me tomorrow and let me know. Thanks. Have a good night.

Homework 3/17

Happy St. Patrick's day. For tonight, I am not assigning additional reading. Please get caught up. Rather, I would like you all to start thinking about your presentation scene. Consider what task to choose, and how you might approach it. I have a group presenting 3.4 on Thursday. I Thank that group for agreeing to present on such short notice. Your acceptance "shall receive such thanks As fits a king's remembrance." Have a good night.

Homework 3/16

Good evening. For this evening's homework, I would like you to read act 3 scene 3. We will try to discuss 3.2 and 3.3 in class tomorrow. For the second part of the class we will conduct a timed write.

A few thoughts about the AP exam and the in-class writing tasks. Some students conveyed some concerns about the writing assignments and their ultimate purpose. The concerns were that the focus seemed to be more on quantity rather than quality, and that they did not feel their writing was improving as a result of writing many papers. I can appreciate your concerns and imagine many feel the same way. It is always difficult to determine the best way to prepare for an exam. For a writing exam, it proves to be much more complex, because student deficiencies are diverse and often very different. I am working to find a balance, and provide you with the best test prep that I can. Much of our writing improvement comes from a personal dedication to the craft, and a determination on the individual's part to write better. While I feel that writing requires a lot of practice - and so I assign a  lot of practice essays - I do agree that there needs to be a balance between writing and analyzing our strengths and weaknesses as writers. To that end, I will work on finding quality assignments that accomplish just that. 

One additional thought. I realize that this is all overwhelming, and many of you feel the stress of your tests beginning to bear down. I also realize that the feedback you get on your writing is mostly negative. Let me just say that you are all very good writers. You wouldn't be in this class if you were not. You should all be proud of what you have accomplished over the years, and to be quite honest, you have all written something that has impressed me over the last eight months together. The comments I make are meant to help you improve, so they tend to focus on the mistakes, careless errors, etc. That doesn't mean you can't write, it just means all papers - including teachers' papers - need improvement. Anyway, we will discuss tomorrow.

Weekend Homework: 3/13-3/15

Hello, for this weekend please complete I.R. project #3. Then, please read the rest of 3.1 and all of 3.2 Pretty short read. Thanks.

Next week we will do several timed writes as well as a couple days of multiple choice. Between this and the readings, we will be busy. I will also begin to assign the group projects and will hand that out Monday. Have a good weekend. 

Homework 3/12

Hello,

For this evening, I would like you to re-read the ending soliloquy in the 2.2. Then, interpret the meaning of the text. After a long scene, with so much going on, what is on Hamlet's mind? Did he just give a performance? Is he really crazy? What does he have to say? For those who did not read the scene entirely, please do so tonight. Tomorrow, we will discuss the soliloquy and the finer points of 2.2. If there is time, we will read some of 3.1 together in class. 

Homework 3/11

First of all, thank you all for your cooperation this afternoon. I appreciate the courtesy I was extended during my speech to the class. I do believe that this will benefit us all in the long run.

Now, for homework. Please read 2.2 this evening. It is a long scene with a lot going on. Pay attention to how R&G are brought to spy on Hamlet, How Claudius and Polonius plan to use Ophelia, What Voltemand has to say about the king of Norway, How Hamlet twists words of others, the underlying feelings Hamlet has for R&G, and what Polonius sees as the cause of Hamlet's madness. 

Tomorrow, I will show the scene in class and we will break it up into segments. We will see who is on stage, and what each person is doing.  Then, we will discuss the scene. Have a good night.

Please check snapgrades for accuracy. At this point, mostly everything is in. There are a few things to grade, but not much. If you are missing a lot of work, you should see me. For this marking period, your grade will be based on snapgrades, as well as attendance, participation, etc.  

Homework 3/10

For this evening, I would like you to read 2.1 and look at the scene closely for class discussion. Beginning tomorrow, I will assign the first several groups scenes for interpretation and performance. I am considering revising the plan, as some have expressed an issue with performance based assignments. We will discuss tomorrow.

A few things to mention. The next I.R. book will not be assigned until after Hamlet. I know I used the words "shortly thereafter," but I did intend to wait. However, I do intend to get through Hamlet in a timely manner. The current I.R. assignment is due next week. 

Finally, a few thoughts. I know the end of the year is approaching and many of you are feeling the effects of spring fever. However, there is still plenty of work left to do. We have to prepare for the AP exam, finish Hamlet, a poetry unit, and other assignments to wind down the year. I see a lot of you "slacking" and I am going to request that you re-evaluate your priorities. Some distractions are expected, but there is a pervasive sense of indifference and entitlement taking over the class, and it really needs to discontinue. I am paying the price for treating the class as a college level course with flexible policies and procedures. I realize that it all starts with me, thus, I will make alterations as I see fit. Here are a few things to be addressed:

1. Excessive lateness 

2. Off task when working in groups

3. Long breaks. You - like all other students - get five minutes; not ten. If you cannot get                done what you need in that time, then do not attempt it.

4. Side conversations while I, or others, are talking.

5. Excessive absences.

6. Excessively leaving the class to take care of "college items," "other needs," school and                   non-school related.  

Let me introduce new policies for all:

1. Lateness is not acceptable and will not be tolerated. Your grade will be impacted.

    Please sign the late log when entering the class late.

2. 5 minute breaks. No longer. You must leave the room and return within that time    

            period. You do not have time to go to the store. Bring what you need.

3. You must ask to leave the room. Do not just walk out.

Lastly, I feel that the privileges that I've given you have been abused, and so I am taking them away. I apologize to those who have continued to honor and respect the system and the class by doing the responsible thing. Thank you. I really do not want to turn this into a regular class, but I feel I have no choice, but to enforce the rules with which all students must comply. Yes, that means AP students as well. Remember, this is not personal and I enjoy teaching your class, but I cannot, and will not, have students taking advantage of my good nature and flexibility. Thank you for your cooperation in the matter. I will address specific situations with specific people. Please feel free to see me personally with any individual concerns regarding this.