TODAY IN CLASS
Hamlet Speed-Dating Activity--6 or 7 past AP Question 3's for which Hamlet was among the suggested texts; students rotated so that each question was discussed with a different partner.

Here are the prompts, in case you missed class; however, there's no way to make up the class activity.
Hamlet Speed-Dating Possibilities

TOMORROW
There will be a short (under ten min.) quiz over the beginning of Crime and Punishment.  For Monday you should have read Ch. 1 and 2 of Part I, but by Tuesday you were to have read all of Part I.

And the timed write over Hamlet--Exactly 40 minutes; 60 points.

Crime and Punishment Reading Schedule
Part I--by Tuesday, Mar. 31.  But have chapters 1 and 2 read for Monday for sure.
Part II through Ch. 4--by Thursday, April 2, and finished by Friday, April 3
Parts III and IV--by Monday, April 13
Part V--by Wednesday, April 15
Part VI and Epilogues--by Friday, April 17

Have the book with you all the time.

Hamlet Acts 4-5 quiz today--make up ASAP if you were absent.

Short analytical paper due tomorrow:

1. I have set up the turnitin.com folders for the scene analysis due tomorrow.  Though I still recommend 3:00 p.m. tomorrow as your deadline for submitting it, I left the 11:59 p.m. default in place.  I do not want to negotiate minor issues of timing.

2.  But DO be sure and have this paper in class tomorrow.  You will be using it.  People without a hard copy in hand at the start of class will not be allowed to participate.  If you have issues printing at home, be here before school starts to set it right. 

3. Make certain that you include all the categories listed on the assignment (posted 3/24; link to GoogleDrive provided yesterday); the "balance" might vary depending on which scene section you analyze.

4.  Yes, you need quotes, but you do not want to waste too many precious words on the quotes;  select carefully and work in the relevant excerpts.  You must provide evidence, but it's your commentary that is most important.

Other info--

Bring your copy of Crime and Punishment to class tomorrow.

Tomorrow--Acts 4-5 quiz 

It will be shorter than the 1-3 quiz.  There will be time to do some essential wrap-up of those two acts. Obviously the Act 5 "Smaller Questions" will be useful.  Also, consider the most complete way possible to complete the following consequences.
Cause (Action) --you provide the Effect (result) *note that there will usually be multiple results
Hamlet rewrites Claudius's orders:
Hamlet agrees to take part in the fencing match:
Claudius poisons a cup of wine:
Laertes poisons his sword point:

Due Friday
See yesterday's post for the Scene Analysis assignment, or you may print it out here:
Hamlet Scene Analysis

(I've decided not to make 70 copies of this.)

Crime and Punishment--You've got it, right??

Quiz over Acts 1-3 was today in class: PLEASE MAKE UP ON WEDNESDAY BEFORE SCHOOL IF AT ALL POSSIBLE

Quiz over Acts 4-5 will be on Thursday, not on Wednesday as announced yesterday

Assignment due on Friday:

Hamlet Scene Analysis (40 assessment points)

What: 

An essay in which you show how a particular section of a scene is significant in terms of theme, imagery (especially motifs), characterization and/or character development, or other relevant aspects. Be alert for connections to patterns you’ve seen elsewhere in the play, but the focus of this paper is only the scene you are analyzing. Incorporate the essential plot function into the initial set-up; do not “analyze” it.   

How to approach it: 

Study the scene carefully, noting the elements mentioned above. Decide for each one how the use of those aspects in the scene helps to enrich our overall experience with the play.  Do not write an introductory paragraph; instead, write the clearest thesis sentence you can that will capture both the significance and the order in which the elements will be discussed in the paper.  Discuss them, using ample textual evidence.  Then have a clincher sentence.

Documentation:

Establish act and scene in your opening sentence.  Then you will need only line numbers in parentheses after quotations.  Be selective and concise; quote only the parts you need the most.

Objectives:

1) To show your ability to do a close-reading analysis as well as to demonstrate your overall understanding of the play.

2) To pack as much evidence as you can into a short paper by making every word and phrase count.  Get rid of all possible “dead-wood” in your writing, and use sentence-combining techniques to maximize what you say.

3) Aim for both coverage and insight.  Incorporate quotations briefly and efficiently; do not bog down in laborious copying.

Scenes to choose from:

Act 3, Scene 4, from Ghost’s exit to the very end

Act 4, Scene 7 

Act 5, Scene 2 to the stage direction “Entrance of a Lord” at about 208

Length:  500-600 words    [Use single-spaced homework heading; double-space paper]

Due:  In class on Friday, March 27 And on turnitin.com no later than the END of the school day. Friday night submissions are not very effective . . . let’s call 3:00 p.m. the “end of the school day.”

"The Eagle"
http://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/eagle-camera-dives-worlds-tallest-skyscraper-n323546

Note the distance of this dive!

FRIDAY IN CLASS
Marked completion on the short equivalences for possible meaning of "The Sick Rose."
First part of the poetry terms quiz!  Second part on Wednesday, March 18.
Then groups of students collated their responses to Blake's poem and gave a brief consensus report to the class.
Result: more uniformity than most critics have, though certainly the primary interpretation is "in the running."

SO, for MONDAY
Primary responsibility is to finish reading Act III of Hamlet, and to use the Smaller Questions hand-out as a "check your understanding" guide.

But as a follow-up to the  Blake poem, please do one or the other of the following if you can:

• Find out something about Blake's life and work, particularly his attitudes about the age he was living in.
• Poke around and see what you can find about critical interpretations of  "The Sick Rose."

However, I can't tell you how happy it makes me that you did neither of these things before filling out your "equals" list!

TODAY IN CLASS
Both classes completed all we plan to do with Tennyson's "The Eagle."

FYI:  Alfred, Lord Tennyson (1809-1892); "Victorian"; made Poet Laureate in 1850; poetry spans a period from the late 1830's to the mid 1880's.  In many ways expresses the confidence and optimism of the Victorian age, though some of his poetry reflects personal loss and sadness.

After agreeing that, though some extensions of the literal meaning were possible, they were not "inevitable" or essential.  The poem can stand on its own as a statement of the grandeur and natural power of an eagle.

Then we looked at William Blake's "The Sick Rose."

FYI:  William Blake (1757-1827)  A "Pre-Romantic" in that most of his work belongs to the late 18th century, the "Age of Reason, but as a revolutionary and mystic, Blake is usually considered a forerunner of Romanticism.

Both classes noted that "The Sick Rose" is most assuredly not about a rose bush experiencing some form of plant disease or infestation.   So one short task for tomorrow is to read/re-read, and decide (WITHOUT BENEFIT OF PRINT OR ONLINE SOURCES) what you think the poem is "about."
Show your thoughts by filling in what corresponds to each of the following elements from the poem:

Rose =
worm =
howling storm =
bed =
secret love =
thy life =

3rd Period--Looked at Polonius' explanation to the King and Queen of his perception of Hamlet's problem, through his plans to follow Claudius' wish that his theory be put to the test.

4th--didn't . . .

FOR TOMORROW
Yes, the short analysis of "The Sick Rose" via filling out the the list above.

The Poetry Terms Quiz (Part 1):  A-M

Just for today, I wish that my AP classes were 1st and 2nd period; we would have had 65 minutes of class time! :)  Instead, we were working with last year's Wednesday norm--a mere 35 minutes.

SO--We got a bit farther into Act II discussion, still noting contributors.  Tomorrow we will devote a maximum of half the class (25 min.) to finishing Act II.  If we can have a good solid discussion in less time, that's fine too.

Because the other thing we did today was barely start on a two-poem brief set.  I'm not even recapping at all, because I want almost a fresh start for everyone tomorrow.  We will have at least 25 minutes for this, and perhaps longer.

FOR HOMEWORK
1) Be mindful of the first half of the poetry terms quiz coming up on Friday (A-M; 36 terms).
2) Get a good start on Act III.  It's long.  I hope you have it finished by Friday.
3) Acts IV and V need to be read for TUESDAY, regardless of how far our discussion has proceeded.  At some point we simply shift into "whole play" mode.

LOOKING AHEAD

• The second portion of the poetry terms quiz will be Wednesday, March 18.
• Have Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment in your hands by Thursday, March 19.  If you are determined to read it on a laptop, iPad, Kindle, or Nook,  I will (grudgingly) let you do it. However, for our class, you aren't allowed to read C & P on your phone. 

Brief (late) blog:  if you were in class and got the hand-outs, you know how to prepare for a graded discussion in Acts I and II.  If you weren't, just make sure you've read the first two acts.

Note the poetry terms quiz dates on yesterday's post.

WHERE WE ARE WITH HAMLET

We're "done" (until meaning of the work as a whole, etc.) with Act I--both classes saw the segment involving Laertes' warning to Ophelia, Polonius' farewell advice to Laertes, and Polonius' escalating warning/edict to Ophelia concerning Hamlet.  Though we didn't have much to say in class, you should be well aware also of Hamlet's view of his country's drinking practices (and why), the warnings Horatio and Marcellus give for NOT following the ghost, and the ghost's specific conversation with Hamlet.  His speeches are long, detailed, and important--but they are clear enough to stand on their own. 

Act II--You should have Scene 1 and  Scene 2 up to the entrance of the players (around line 445) read by Monday; finish the act for Tuesday

Act III--by Thursday--Scenes 1 and 2; by Friday--Scenes 3 and 4

MOVING ON

Poetry Terms Quizzes:  

First half--Friday, March 13

Second half--Wednesday, March 18

TODAY IN CLASS
Group 6 Presentations--"How all occasions do inform against me . . ."
Hand-out for Sentence Revision Strategies and Sentences Correctness (linked to yesterday's post, but given out as paper today.
4th period worked on some "THIS" sentence revisions; 3rd, I'll have you do this tomorrow.
3rd, however, moved ahead with one. more. bit. of Act I--the encounter between Hamlet and Horatio (whom he apparently did not know had been rattling around Elsinore for a month or more).

FOR TOMORROW
On-time submission of the comparison/contrast essays:

• Have the paper copies in class (1st draft and Final Draft, plus the Peer Response sheet).
• Get the final draft on turnitin.com by 11:59 Thursday night

Hamlet:  Act I needs to be completed for Friday;  Act II up to the entrance of the players by Monday (2.2.445).

TODAY IN CLASS
Soliloquy presentations for #s 2, 3, 4, and 5.  The last one will be first thing tomorrow.

FOR TOMORROW
Much as I'd like you to press on with Hamlet, I have to let you put the essay as top priority.  Work hard on content/organization revisions for tomorrow, and remember that some of you did not make an effort to provide MLA formatting on your first draft.

Here is a link for the style revision page:
Style Revision Strategies

Also, here is something for basic sentence correctness(structure and punctuation), though it also includes the THIS reminder. It is very basic, but I am making sure that all bases are covered.  I apologize that I cannot find the original of this page and do not wish to re-type it; however, utilize this link instead of the one that appears for the "20 Most Common Errors" information:
20 Most Common Errors (Lunsford)

Here is the link for my hand-out:
Sentence Structure and Punctuation Reminders

FRIDAY IN CLASS
Students received a soliloquy to read, paraphrase (broadly, but accurately), and annotate; the purpose was to show trace the thinking/attitude/emotions of the speaker at that point in the play.  After individual time, people worked in groups to compare findings and prepare for a brief, to-the-point presentation.  Only one got presented ("O that this too too sullied/sallied/solid flesh would melt . . . .").  Remaining groups will present on Tuesday.

If you were absent on Friday, prepare this one:
Soliloquy if you were absent

Yes, others have done this, but it's one worth doubling up on.  The challenge for you working at home, though, is that you need to do it with the text linked above.  Nothing else.  Not sure for that one there's even any need to look up allusions.

FOR MONDAY
Have a draft of your comparison/contrast paper.  I expect that substantial revisions will be necessary for most of you.  That's okay.  Learning to do deep revisions (and then one final one for style improvements) is a key necessity for good writing, whatever your future major.  So get the hardest part, draft #1, done and with you in class tomorrow!

It is the only day for which class time will be devoted to peer response.  However, EVERYONE will be required to do/receive feedback from one of my AP Lit and Comp students as part of this assignment. (Parents, older siblings, friends in other classes, etc., do not count.)