Week Eleven (Nov. 3 - Nov. 7)

Alright ... weird week. I won't see you guys until Wednesday because of the schedule, so make sure you read 'Brave New World', and if you read it over the weekend you might want to refresh yourself on it before coming in to class on Wednesday.

W - 'Brave New World' Chapters 1-3. Questions/comments from everyone are due. Forest, Kodi, and Brenton will be our first group to lead class discussion. They haven't let me know what they are planning yet, but I'm sure it will be good.

F - Handout 'Importance of Being Earnest' materials. We will be reading this in-class and our Wednesday and Fridays over the next two weeks will be taken up discussing its literary qualities.

HW - Read 'BNW' Chs. 4-6 ... Sarah and Ashley will be leading the class next week.

Week Ten (Oct. 27 - Oct. 31)

Whew, fiction is over with. Well, sort of. Not really at all actually. Now that we're shifting gears and looking at drama, some of the same things we analyzed in fiction still apply in this realm too. What a coincidence, huh?

M - Pass back your fiction analysis essays and your timed writing essays. Class discussion on improving your essays. Provide the assignment for our next independent reading book, Brave New World.

(Primarily the big problem with the essays was lack of a main claim in your thesis. Thus the body paragraphs tended to ramble on, w/o any sort of coherent direction. Also, you guys were great at identifying the literary devices like tone, point of view, and symbolism, but you stopped after the identifying part. You neglected to carry it one step further and ask WHY is irony being used? What is the purpose of the irony? What is Brush using it to accomplish?)

W - Keynote "Lecture" on the nature of drama ... introduction into what we should expect, what are the assumptions, key items we should be picking up. Look at 'The Interview' by Joyce Carol Oates (WAYG, WHYB? author), a one-act play to use as a beginning point for our drama unit.

F - Finish up Oates' play if necessary. Move on to "Time Flies" by David Ives.

HW - For Monday read the first 3 chapters to Brave New World

Week Nine (Oct. 20 - Oct. 24)

Amazingly, the final week of the first quarter is here. Man, I don't know about you but it seems to have gone by rather quickly. This is our final week of short stories/fiction. Next week we will begin our unit on drama. However, don't forget the literary elements you've learned this quarter, because a lot of them are still applicable.

M - Discuss papers ... it sounds like there might have been confusion on Friday for some groups. Perhaps I will extend the deadline one more class period depending on how you feel today.

W - Practice AP MC questions. This time it will be for a grade, however I will be using our AP grading scale curve.

F - Practice AP Fiction essay. Again, this will also be for a grade and graded based on the AP grading scale curve.

Next week ... drama. What every student loves.

Week Eight (Oct. 13 - Oct. 17)

M - Finish up 1984. Discuss ending of the book. Put it within its larger context. Final reading questions due, as well as your 2-page essay from 'Jury of Her Peers'

W - We will randomly choose groups for the four different stories to write a literary analysis of. At the beginning of class, we will choose groups, go over the assignment, and then the rest of the class is yours to read the story and dissect it. Essay will be due on Monday.

F- I will be out of class today. It will be a work day for your analysis essays.

HW - Finish essay, due Monday

Week Seven (Oct. 6 - Oct. 10)

M - Unfortunately,  I won't be here so you will be taking a practice AP multiple choice test while I am gone. However, your 1984 questions are still due today. We will discuss the novel on Wednesday.

HW - Read 'The Drunkard' with focus on irony

W - Discuss 1984 for political understandings of Goldstein's book. Review answers to the multiple choice test. Evaluate your timed writing essays. Finally, discuss 'The Drunkard' and review types of irony.

HW - Read 'Jury of Her Peers' ... no other assignment, just read

F - Focus is on evaluating fiction with 'Jury of Her Peers' ... in small groups we will be analyzing the text as an assessment of our short story unit.

HW - Finish 1984

Week Six (Sept. 30 - Oct. 3)

Alright ... change in plans from your syllabus this week. For two reasons. One, I decided I wasn't ecstatic about the story I had scheduled for this week, and two, I think we've been moving so fast that I'm afraid some of you need some 'digestion' time, and the ability to put in practice what you've learned.

M - '1984' discussion. I really want to focus on two things; his dream and memory about his mom and childhood, and his meeting with O'Brien. (No HW!)

W - Quick review session of the key terms and ideas we've looked out during the first five weeks of class. Then an in-class timed writing prompt.

F - Discussion of writing prompts, look at example essays to compare to

HW - Read last two sections of Part II and first two sections of Part III of '1984'

hills like white elephants by high school student

Week Five (Sept. 22 - Sept. 25)

M - Friday schedule, on a Monday? What? I'm confused. Anyway your 1984 questions are due today as well as checking to see that you marked up your short story, "Hills Like White Elephants." In class we'll be analyzing what is the implied metaphor of the operation and how the setting, characterization, and minimalism lead to understanding.

HW - Read "Where are you going, where have you been?" and answer questions

W - Discuss "WAYG,WHYB" in class. Main focus will be on symbolism. Who is Arnold Friend? What is the theme of this piece? Why is it so creepy? Is Connie an archetype?

HW - No school on Friday ... enjoy and read the next few chapters in 1984

1984

Week Four (Sept. 15 - Sept. 19)

M - Discuss '1984' ... please watch the video above. This is actually two layers of 'spoofing.' The above political ad endorsing Barack Obama was an actual commercial that Apple Computers ran in the mid-80s introducing the world to their product. They were using the symbolism of IBM being like the Party and their computers were the change needed in society. The commerical is considered one of THE most famous commercials of all time.

(HW Due: '1984' questions ... Read 'Everyday Use' and answer questions)

W - Discuss 'Everyday Use' for characterization, theme, and tone. Create tone posters/vocab words.

(HW: Read "Gooseberries" by Chekov ... NO questions)

F - Analyze Chekov's short story for symbolism, tone, irony, etc. 

(HW: Read first four chapters of Part II in '1984')

Week Three (Sept. 8 - Sept. 12)

M - Reading questions for the first four chapters of '1984' are due. Class discussion on the setting of the novel.

HW - Read "Hunters in the Snow" packet and answer the reading questions following it.

W - Discuss short story with primary focus being on characterization. We will be analyzing the characters in class and looking at how the setting plays a role in their actions. Keep this in mind as you read.

HW - Read "Interpreter of Maladies" packet and answer reading questions

F - Discuss short story from the aspect of plot and structure. It's an example of how point of view in a story can really affect your interpretation of the piece. The snapshots taken by the family parallel the images we see of contemporary life: parenting, marriage, frustration with jobs, and disillusionment. Keep in mind how the conflicts in this story; some of which are subtle, are important to the story.

HW - Read next four chapters of '1984' and answer reading questions

Week Two (Sept. 2 - Sept. 5)

The Raising of Lazarus

Wednesday - Crime and Punishment analysis. Look at summer reading questions in pairs, prepare to present to large group. Circle D of the novel and its relevance. Understanding of the biblical allusions to Lazarus within the novel.

(HW -- Re-read Raskolnikov's dream in Part One, Section Five and jot down all the objects and events that could function as symbols or foreshadowings for future events in the novel)

Friday - Discuss Raskolnikov's dream individually and within larger group context. Introduce the 12 Stages of the Hero's Journey and determine if Raskolnikov fits the mold of a 'hero.' Any final thoughts/commentary on Crime and Punishment.

(HW -- First reading questions of '1984' due on Monday)

Week One (Aug. 27- Aug. 31)

** Please note we're on a 'Monday' schedule all this week **

M - Welcome back, special coming back to GEHS activities 

(HW: Summer reading due Tuesday)

T - Go over syllabus, intro to the course

HW - Literary profiles ... you will be interviewing someone within the class and writing a one-page profile of them in a creative manner. (Literary profile due next Monday)

W - Practice AP multiple choice test

Th- Practice AP essay prompt

F - Go over results to practice AP test, review AP scoring, discuss essay. 

Hand out first quarter independent reading novel, '1984' by George Orwell.

HW - First reading questions for '1984' due on Monday, Sept. 8th

C&P Part Four

Uh oh ... only one more week until your summer reading is due! I'm getting more and more excited for the new year and really am inspired to be teaching your class. I anticipate big things this year.

As for C&P, in Part Four, hopefully you noticed the reoccurrence of Lazarus in the discussion between Raskolnikov and Porfiry. Whether you looked back to see who Lazarus was back in Part 3, take note of its significance here and begin to put some of the clues together based on Sonya's reading of the story of Lazarus and how it could possibly symbolize Raskolnikov.

At the conclusion of Part Four, everything seems to be going perfectly for Raskolnikov; his sister appears to have broken off her engagment to Luzhin, Nikolai has confessed to the murder of the pawnbroker, and Sonya even appears to be falling for him (despite his callous treatment of her near the end of the fourth section). What more could he ask for? Alas, there are still two more parts to go ... whatever could go wrong? Hmm.

Anyway, here are some guiding questions from this Part that intrigued me, perhaps they will interest you too:

1) What is the best thing for Dunya to do? Follow her brother's directive, forgive Luzhin, reconnect with Svidrigailov, or continue flirting with Razumikhin? Why? And what exactly is her role in the novel? Why is she important?

2) Why does Sonya continue to show affection for Raskolnikov after their meeting in the fourth section? He basically spends the whole time antagonizing her, reliving past horrors for her, and even tells her, "But maybe there isn't a God!" (321), a statement that he knew would incite rage in her after she just told him of her beliefs in God. So why does she continue to support him instead of tossing him out the door?

3) What is Porfiry's motive in bringing Raskolnikov in and basically laying out his entire case for Raskolnikov. He basically comes out and says he knows Raskolnikov did it. Why would he do this? What are his intentions and why does he think this is the best route?

C&P Part Three

(illustration of Raskolnikov)

Man ... the pages just flow by don't they? Kidding. Now, I KNOW smart students like yourselves would NEVER consider just reading some online summary of this book, i.e. SparkNotes instead of actually reading the book, since you've only had 90 days to read this book. So I'm excited about what you might have to say about section five in Part Three of the novel. I might be exaggerating just slightly but it's probably one of the top three sections in the entire novel. Understanding who Raskolnikov is and why he went through with the murder in Part One is answered within that section and begins the psychological interplay between Raskolnikov and Porfiry which I think is the heart of the novel. So make sure you read, or re-read, that section carefully.

That said here are some great discussion questions for ANYBODY to respond to:

1) How is Razumikhin a foil to Raskolnikov? (A foil is a character that contrasts with another character, usually the protagonist, and so highlights various facets of the main character's personality. A foil usually has some important characteristics in common with the other character, such as, frequently, superficial traits or personal history. The author may use the foil to throw the character of the protagonist into sharper relief.)

2) Explain what his published article is about in your own words, and can you think of any problems with his theory?

3) Do you think Raskolnikov considers himself an 'ordinary' person or an 'extraordinary' one? (This is not as easy as you might think. Perhaps you could point to some quotes/examples to help your case)

4) How does the description of the setting relate to the novel? (It seems like Dostoyevsky keeps beating us over the head with phrases like the 'stagnant air', the dinginess, the stifling heat, etc. at every turn. Surely it must be a metaphor or point to something, right? right?)

**As an aside ... Porfiry asks Raskolnikov at one point in their discussions if Raskolnikov believes in the raising of Lazarus. If you have time, google/wikipedia the story of Lazarus and see if you can figure out why the story of Lazarus is used. (This could help you with question 10 on your paper I believe.)**

C&P Part Two

Ok, for the three of you who have thrown your thoughts into the mix, I really appreciate it. TJ, Anna, and Alex, you are making connections to this text that are eye-opening for me and allow me to think about the novel from a perspective I hadn't considered in some respects. Reading your posts get me giddy for the start of school. Perhaps others will now feel comfortable tossing their opinions out there as well. You'll hear me say this probably a hundred times throughout the year, but the success of our class is dependent on the number of voices we hear from. If we rely solely on Anna, Alex, or TJ to lead us, no matter how 'right' they are, we're only going to experience literature from their perspective. For this class to truly be an experience we need to debate, gossip, dissect, and theorize. But we need multiple angles of thought to choose from.

So hopefully people have gotten their books and have started reading by now. If you haven't, um, well, okay. Enjoy your next few weeks holed up with a great Russian author.

In any event, I've included a few questions from Part Two of the novel that I think may help with your thought process while reading. Again, feel free to expound upon any or all of the questions below.

1) What does Raskolnikov gain from getting rid of the stolen goods from the pawnbroker? By the end of Part Two we know he didn't steal that much money based on what the police found in her apartment, so why does he hang on to the trinkets that are only of minimal value anyway?

2) Why is Raskolnikov so against Pyotr Luzhin from the beginning he meets him? What is he so leery about? He hardly knows anything about the man, why is he not good enough for Raskolnikov's sister?

3) In the sixth section of Part Two (pg. 158 in my version), Raskolnikov gives a long quote, "a man condemned to death ... if he had to live somewhere high up on a cliffside, on a narrow ledge ... with the ocean, eternal darkness, eternal solitude ... and had to stay like that, on a square foot of space, an entire lifetime ... it would be better to live so than to die right now! To live, no matter how -- only to live! Man is a scoundrel!"  Besides seeing that reoccurring reference to man being a scoundrel (like the question in part one that I asked about) it seems Raskolnikov really values life and that survival is key. And yet in his conversation with Zamyotov in the sixth section he basically confesses to the murder. WHY would he do such a thing? What could he possibly gain by acting like this?

**And just as a special aside, pay attention to all of those religious type clues. At some points I feel the novel is very blatant about them. Also, this section seemed pretty big on making metaphorical references to the exterior not being equal to the interior. Seems like a person's character cannot be defined by their outward appearance or behavior. Perhaps that's important to knowing what Dostoyevsky is trying to say with this novel?**

C&P Part One

I know, I know ... summer is still going on. Leave us alone English teacher man. But I promise, this isn't a method of slow torture, but rather continual nudges to make sure you're keeping up and are ready for the first week of school.

Hopefully by now you've started the novel and have read Part One. If not, um, I would STRONGLY suggest you start. This is not one of those teen beach novels you can fly through. It's too dense. So if you start today you need to average 20 pages a day just to finish it for the first day of school without doing the writing part.

But to help you out with comprehension as we get closer to the first day of school each week until then I'll be posting some questions that I think might help you with making sense of the novel. I would like (hint, hint) you to respond to these questions via the comment link at the end of this post. You can respond to any or all of them. And if someone responds to the question you were going to, post anyway. Multiple viewpoints is the key to our development as a class this year.

So here are the questions from Part One to consider: 

1) Why do you think Raskolnikov hates himself so? His self-loathing is so constant during the entirety of Part One that it must be important. What are your thoughts?

2) At the end of the second section of Part One he says "But if that's a lie ... if man in fact is not a scoundrel -- in general, that is, the whole human race -- then the rest is all mere prejudice, instilled fear, and there are no barriers, and that's just how it should be!" What does this quote mean? I'm wrestling with it myself. Before he makes this comment he's beating himself up for leaving some money on the windowsill of Marmeladov. He seems to be making a point about whether man is inherently good or not. What is your take?

3) Looking at section 2 and 3 of Part One there seems to be some connections between Raskolnikov's situation and that of Marmeladov's life. What types of parallels do you see? Make a list. The fact that Dostoyevsky has Marmeladov tell his back story for 10 pages must have some reasoning. (For example, both men seem loathe to accept help from others. Raskolnikov gives the money from his mother away, and Marmeladov takes the money his daughter made and squanders it on a five-day drinking binge.)

4) What are your thoughts about what his dream about being a boy and watching the beating of the cart horse might symbolize? (This is basically what I ask you to think about in question 10 in the writing response but I'm curious to see what initial thoughts you have. Don't be afraid to say whatever comes to your head.)

... more questions to come.

Hey Everybody!

OH NO! Only 9 more weeks until school starts. The HORROR!!!

Welcome to my 'official' AP English homepage. During the school year I will be posting my plans for that coming week. So any reading or writing assignments you can know about in advance. I want to get most of you in the habit of coming here when you are absent, or EVEN BETTER, before you're absent (most of you know when you'll be missing days) so that you aren't pestering me upon your return of what you've missed. It will all be right here.

Later this summer I'll be posting questions about "C&P" that I would like you to respond to, but some of you won't start the book for several more weeks so I'm going to wait on that. However, until then I will be linking to several interesting articles and for those of you so inclined, feel free to read and comment on.

In an attempt to get you to become regular readers of this site I have posted a section for useful links that I think will be, well, useful for you and some personal stuff like what books I'm reading this summer.

So to kick it off, here's a link to a NY Times story I read a few weeks ago about these prestigious high schools having to force their students to eat lunch b/c in the quest to get ahead the students were scheduling classes through their lunch hour and it was causing issues, physically and emotionally. These are the kids you'll eventually be competing against in the 'real world' ... what do you think?

(Click on the comment link under this post, write your comment and sign your name, then click the 'anonymous' button below the comment section to add your thoughts ... feel free to respond to what other people have written as well. I will also try to chime in with my own thoughts as needed.)