Reality supercedes mythology now

The test is taken (and I'm working on the grading); the gods are gone (but not forgotten).
Writers Week is coming! While we attend WW:
*please remember your basic common sense/common courtesy, just as I anticipate you will;
*meet in the auditorium, which means FIND ME, to turn in your daily WW work (starting with the web quest on Monday)
*enjoy it and think about what each presenter brings
*consider your own writing...maybe submit to the Conspiracy!

It's NOT a Myth!

While Troy's remains have been discovered, Zeus's have not. As king of the Greek gods, Zeus ruled the rest and managed the dysfunctional family atop of Mt. Olympus. Or so we are learning in our quest for true understanding of the Greek Gods and their relationship with humanity.
After reading up on the gods, the class has read parts of Homer's "Odyssey" and studied the background behind it. While students still need some extra studying on the background, the gods seem pretty well understood, and the story of Odysseus and his quest are clear.
Part 1 of Odysseus's story is done: we've read the bits about Calypso, Cyclops, Scylla, Circe, and more; we've discussed Odysseus's heroic qualities, yet human aspects; we've connected how the Greeks' relationships with their gods is the premise of how their destinies were determined (not just man or just the gods); we discussed the duality of man....etc....etc...etc.
Tomorrow, Friday, students will read Part 2, Odysseus's return to Ithaca and what transpires there. They will complete a study guide that accompanies the reading, as well. Odysseus's cleverness helps him to abate many disasters and often persuades others into something that helps him out. By this , we will also examine some persuasive arguments and cause/effect elements of writing soon.

Since "Fire and Ice"

Since Frost's poem, we have continued into analyzing poetry , as well as making connections to different poems and styles of poems. We read Shakespeare's "The Seven Stages of Man," (444)with "All the world's a stage....", Wordsworth's poem and sister's journal entry on the daffodils they experienced (457,459), and then "The Courage that my Mother Had" on page 461. Today students read and took notes on p 480-489 and were to bring an appropriate poem to class on Thursday to work on.
Some assignments have been:
444/5 PREREAD, Quickwrite and background;
446 (1-6)
460 (1-9) and both parts under 'Writing'
462 (1-7) and the writing part, too.

YOUTUBE LINKS for poems

Wednesday's homework is Emily Dickinson's "Hope" (is a thing....), question 1-5 on p. 439. Tomorrow we will examine Carl Sandburg's "Fog", and students will examine Frost's "Fire and Ice". For this, watch two short youtube clips, the lecture one first, and the photostory one second. Total time on these is less than five minutes. Links are available on the 102 page link on my webpage, too.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ZRSIevoc3c is the lecture
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RicVl2V7ixs&feature=related is the "music video"

Poetry: from Writing to Analyzing and Back

This week started with a poetry terms quiz. With 31 words and a list of definitions, it was surprisingly long. After writing some imagery poem and a Catalog poem (modeled after either a Maya Angelou or Naomi Najib Nye example) last week, we moved into haikus today, both reading about them, analyzing them , and writing them (pages 418,419,421).
little bits of words
on the page, in the mind's eye
time to write haikus
Tuesday we progress on through some figures of speech us on pages 428-429; Wednesday we slide into 435-439 with Emily Dickinson's "Hope is a thing..."
For the rest of the week, we progress through more selections in the text book.

Rhyme Time!

Yesterday we embarked on our poetry unit. After I demonstrated how the theme song to "Gilligan's Island" held and iambic pattern of unstressed/stressed syllables, students had a list of poetry terms to define and of which to provide examples. This week, we'll start reading and exploring poems in the textbook, really breaking down their use of poetic devices to create an effect. Students will also be writing some poems as we further sneak into poetry and what the poems all mean.

Whoa, New Unit-"Raisin in the Sun"

Talking about dreams and limitations has guided some of our discussions through our reading of the play, "A Raisin in the Sun". We have also discussed roles, identity, and expectations. Beneatha tests out different aspects of who she thinks she may want to be; Walter forces his way into pushing toward who he wants to be; Ruth suffers through being a wife and mother, with peeks at loving joy she once held on to; Mama's pride helps anchor her and make her anchor for the family. Race issues like assimilation come up, and many more issues. Of course, as referenced in the title, we have discussed frustrations from unrealized dreams, and what that can do to a person.

Today, Tuesday, I assigned a RAFT paper that is due next Monday, December 1st; the test is December 2nd. The RAFT paper is less formal with spots demanding creativity, yet will be typed when turned in to me.

Students, feel free to post comments/thougts on the play and the RAFT here!