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!

Oh, Lennie, NO!

Can you believe it?!?!

What was it? A mercy killing? Vengeance? "Good Riddance"?...

…Love?

Selfish? Unselfish?

Either way, it was a real tear-jerker. With the book now complete, we're wrapping up discussions and moving toward the test, which is currently scheduled for this Wednesday. Of course a paper is coming, too. Knew it had to happen, didn't you?

I suppose everyone is already making thematic connections between ALL of the short stories we read to OMM. They're there; you should make them.

In the Middle of Mice and Men

Yesterday, students discussed chapter 3, after a pop quiz on in, and read chapter 4 for homework, due today. Chapter 3 is the first chapter where HOPE rears its head. So many in the novel are lonely and isolated: Candy, Curley, his wife, George, Lennie, and all the men (migrant workers), .... So many have "nothing and nobody", except for George and Lennie (and those who have a dog to love.... ;) )
There is a chapter 4 and 5 quiz on Friday, and we will view some of the movie starring Gary Sinise and John Malkovich. Also, students will work on categorizing and defending their opinions with textual support on a worksheet or two.