Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Odyssey Character Exploration

Each partnership selected one character from The Odyssey and created a bubble map to describe the character. Textual references from the epic poem and the film were included in the frame of the bubble map to support the selected adjectives.

To fully bring your character to life for the class, you will share your bubble map, a physical sketch of your character, and one of the following pieces of writing about your character:

Option 1
Write a letter of recommendation for your character who is applying to Greek Hero Idol, a new reality show modeled after American Idol. Your letter should be at least two paragraphs long and detail how your character best exemplifies the ideal of the Greek hero.

Option 2
Write a who, what, when, where and how song. Each line is composed in the four-beat framework, and you should make some attempt at rhyming. Here's the frame--

Who, What, When, Where and How
Who, What, When, Where and How
Who, ____ ____ ____ _____
What, ____ _____ _____ _____
When, _____ _____ _____ _____
Where _____ _____ ______ ______
and How _____ _____ _____ _____

Option 3
Write the I am Frame poem that goes like this--

I am ________________
I know ______________
I think ______________
I feel _______________
I believe _____________
I am ________________

I am ________________
I wonder _____________
I always ______________
I intend ______________
I never ______________
I am _________________

Monday, October 20, 2008

Odyssey Reading Schedule

You are not required to read the entire epic, but you may wish to read the parts that are not assigned and comment on those for your outside reading blog.

Required Reading Due Dates

Oct. 23: Book 1
Oct. 24: Book 2
Oct. 27: Book 3, lines 1-287; Book 4, lines 1-390 & 698 on
Oct. 28: Book 5
Oct. 29: Book 9
Oct. 30: Book 10
Oct. 31: Book 11
Nov. 3: Book 19
Nov. 4: Book 20, lines 357 on; Book 21
Nov. 5: Book 22
Nov. 6: Book 23, lines 1-258

Heroes In a Box

Your Hero in a Box blog assignment is due Friday, October 25.

Introduction:

When an anthropologist begins to study a group of people, he or she collects artifacts of the culture. Depending on the group being studied, these artifacts may include writing, songs, pictures, art, etc. As an introduction to our study of hero quests, you will take on the role of digital anthropologist, collecting and studying digital artifacts of heroes.

Assignment:

1. Begin by using an Internet search provider to look for artifacts about heroes. Since heroes will lead you to thousands and thousands of findings, you need to narrow your focus. Think about aspects of heroes that you may be interested in studying. Examples may include: female heroes, Canadian heroes, African-American heroes, local heroes, Hmong heroes, gay heroes, etc.

2. Find as many artifacts as you can about your topic. Types of artifacts may include: literature (poetry, short stories, excerpts from literary works), images (pictures, other digital images), videos, songs, quotes from famous people.

3. Next, it’s time to make sense of these artifacts. Study each artifact you found (watch videos, study images, read literature, etc.). Identify patterns in what you find. Create a tree map to help classify the artifacts that you find by theme.

4. Finally, organize your artifacts and write about the classifications you discovered. Create your final product on your blog. Paste photos, literature, quotes, etc. on to your blog; link videos to your blog; discuss your findings in sentences and paragraphs in the same blog post. What did you learn about heroes from your search? For example, while studying sisters, a student discovered that there are two categories of sisters: sisters who are best friends, and sisters who are enemies. End your study with a final paragraph entitled “Conclusion” in which you discuss your overall findings.

Other Heroes to Consider:

First name heroes (e.g. Jackie heroes)
Nerd heroes
Soccer heroes
Vampire heroes (Twilight fans)
Amish heroes
Alien heroes
Hip-hop heroes
Bassoon heroes

Writing Reflection

Since you were handed back your first English essay of high school today, you should stop and reflect on your writing and set a writing goal for the year. Most students also received their ninth grade writing portfolio piece to provide further reflection information.

To set your goal, create a multi-flow map in your notebook. Put the writing goal in the center box and list what items will cause you to reach the goal. The effects on the multi-flow map are the long-term results that will occur in high school and beyond if you meet this writing goal.

Errors on this first essay included the following:

Ideas
Too much plot summary and not enough analysis
Not focusing on the essay question and search for self
Quotations were chosen to show a plot point when they should have been chosen for analytical points on searching and finding yourself.

Organization
Attention-getters not included
Conclusion was just a recap of paper's ideas--you need to give a final lesson for your reader
Missing transitions
No clear paragraphing

Voice
Most students had strong word choice, the main problem here was that academic writing requires essays to be written in third person, so you cannot use you (second person) or I, we, etc. (first person).

Conventions
Very few students followed MLA format exactly. After a quotation the proper format is
. . . " (Kingsolver 34).
Commas with coordinating conjunctions and adverb clauses appear to be the most common punctuation error, so during peer review of the next essay, we will have a lesson on those punctuation rules. To review the coordinating conjunction and subordinating conjunction (adverb clause) rules, click here.

Friday, October 3, 2008

Siddhartha Part I

Siddhartha: Part 1

Chapter 1: “The Brahmin’s Son”

1. In your notebook, start a page entitled “Siddhartha Bubble Map.” Write at least 3 adjectives that describe Siddhartha in chapter 1 and support those adjectives with how you know this in the frame of the bubble map.

2. Why does Siddhartha leave his father?


Chapter 2: “With the Samanas”

3. What happens during Siddhartha’s stay with the Samanas? Why does he leave?


4. Contrast the circle and the spiral as discussed on the top of page 18.


5. What are Siddhartha’s goals? Do they change over the course of the first two chapters?



Chapter 3: “Gotama”

6. Why does the Buddha tell Siddhartha to “be on your guard against too much cleverness” on p. 35?


Chapter 4: “The Awakening”

7. What does Siddhartha mean by the quote “I will learn from myself the secret of Siddhartha” on p. 39?


8. Add more adjectives to the bubble map of Siddhartha in your notebook and in the frame record direct quotations that prove your points.

Siddhartha Vocabulary

English 10 students, click on comments for this post and write the information for your assigned vocabulary word. Complete information for 4-Square vocabulary includes 1) a dictionary definition, 2) a symbol or image that represents your word, 3) two synonyms that you think that your classmates will understand, and 4) the word used in an original sentence that shows complete understanding of the word.

NOTE: If you know how to post an image with your comment, great. If not, simply describe the image.

Once all of the entries are made this weekend, students may wish to copy and paste the complete definition information into a Word document and print that to glue in their notebooks. Students may even want to print a second copy of the vocabulary to make flash cards to study for the test on Monday, October 13.

Siddhartha Vocabulary by Chapter

“The Brahmin’s Son”
Hindu Ablutions (p. 3)

“With the Samanas
Onerous (p. 16) cycle of samsara,

Gotama
Siddhartha as Samana (p. 26)
The Illustrious One’s exalted (p. 32) teachings,

“Awakening”
Siddhartha seeks Atman (p. 38)
Siddhartha’s years of asceticism (p. 40)

Kamala
Siddhartha’s thoughts and erudition (p. 47)
Kamala, the well-known courtesan (p. 52)

“Amongst the People”
Siddhartha surpasses Kamaswami’s equanimity (p. 67)

Samsara
Knowledge engendered (p. 83) a new thirst in Siddhartha.

“By the River”
Siddhartha is full of ennui (p. 87).
Siddhartha reflects back on expiation (p. 96) of his youth.

“Ferryman”
Kamala’s pallid (p. 113) face
The funeral pyre (p. 115)

“The Son”
Siddhartha fears his son will be lost in samsara (p. 120)
Exhortation (p. 121) is no way to find oneself.

“Om”
The river voices were entwined (p. 135) in a thousand ways.
The river voices consisted of one word: om (p. 136).

Govinda
Govinda, the venerable (p. 140) one
Is Nirvana only intrinsic (p. 147)?