English 12

Welcome to the reading portion of the Top-Down program. This page provides links to audio and video recordings relevant to literature studies. This page is evolving, so be sure to check back for addtional readings, lectures, and assignments to build reading comprehension and high-level thinking skills. As with all of my pages, these are built for my students, but may be used by ANY student.

Beowulf

Objective: To be able to recognize the qualities of an epic hero, the concept of universal themes based on shared human characteristics that all pieces of literature share, and to review the use of sound devices.

Resources: Readings of excerpts from Beowulf

"Grendel" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mb_9cRTQRAU

"Beowulf and Hrothgar" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ov49HPLerD8

"The Battle with Grendel" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qDM-GeY9er4

"Grendel's Mother" & "The Battle with Grendel's Mother" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pqPa52vvDrw

"The Last Battle" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yeTl_dC151Q

Lecture: https://youtu.be/ROfXn5tMk_8 

Guided: https://forms.gle/ZHsu8ZVxFPJMremh6 

Independent: https://forms.gle/uTdPe7SMQVjAK5JL8 

Closure: Projects assigned will vary from class to class. Rubrics will be posted in the classroom if/when this closure is assigned.

Choose a partner or work alone. Do some research and choose a mythological creature or deity from Neolithic, Celtic, or Norse mythology. The creature and original myth must pre-date 449 CE. Sign up so that no one else may cover the same creature or deity.
Compose a presentation with at least five slides (including a title slide). The title slide should include the name of the mythological figure, the culture from whence it comes (region/type/era), and the group members’ names.
The four (or more) remaining slides should give a written description and contain an image of (a) common physical figure depictions, (b) description of the most commonly suggested character traits, (c) summary of a myth associated with the creature, and (d) impart some additional interesting historical or cultural information.
The slides should be formatted with a visually pleasing theme, have a clear and legible font, be mechanically and grammatically correct, and have relevant and explanatory images on EVERY slide. A DRAFT IS DUE 24 HOURS BEFORE THE FIRST PRESENTATION.

Makeup Work: Answer ONE of the following questions in a 250 word, three paragraph, one page essay. The accuracy and detail of your answer determines the points you will receive toward any missing work for this unit.

  1. In his 20th century novel, Grendel, writer John Gardner tell the story of Grendel's attacks against the Danes from Grendel's perspective. Now think about the Beowulf selection from your textbook and consider the selection from Grendel's mother or the dragon. Choose one or both and discuss what reasons those characters might have to despise the Danes.
OR
  1. Monsters often combine human and animal features in our mythology. Think of other monsters from literature or film that combine such features. Choose one and discuss in detail the similarities and differences between it and Grendel. 

Geoffrey Chaucer

Objective: To be able to understand how literature is reflective of historic and cultural experiences, how to look for details in reading that reveal character traits, and to explain the differences between direct and indirect characterization.

Resources: Readings of excerpts from The Canterbury Tales

Parts of the "Prologue" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjkMz48idh0 

Part of "Pardoner's Tale" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ka-GLPLKRK8 

"The Wife of Bath's Tale" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rs6_lD5Mn14

Lecture: https://youtu.be/r-qeIbFWpBI 

Guided: https://forms.gle/fbEjo3NcRfruZgTw7 

Independent: https://forms.gle/QvBE15JgmGxytSmz5 

Closure: Projects assigned will vary from class to class. Rubrics will be posted in the classroom if/when this closure is assigned.

Break up into groups of 5-6. Compose a frame story that can be split into a prologue and epilogue in order to tie-in a series of stories that share a common concept. One person should write the frame story (prologue and epilogue) and each other group member will write a story which works within the frame. 
Individual stories within each group should follow the SAME format, and have a common thread that is defined by the frame story (natural disaster, pandemic, campground, waiting on the runway in a plane) which should NOT be unrealistic or take from the individual stories. All pieces should be written as a first person narrative from the perspective of a generalized character from the frame story who has been introduced in the prologue.Each story may be an original tale or an original re-telling of a traditional story (fable, legend, or folktale) that has been changed to suit the frame story, point of view, and purpose. Each story should have a theme that fits the frame story and is indicative of each character’s generalized traits.
Drafts of the project must be shared for revision/approval by the FRIDAY BEFORE THE DUE DATE and MUST include IN ONE DOCUMENT: (a) table of contents WITH the names of characters, story titles, AND theme of every selection; (b) frame story prologue at the beginning; (c) frame story epilogue at the end, and (d) character stories in between.

Makeup Work: Answer ONE of the following questions in a 250 word, three paragraph, one page essay. The accuracy and detail of your answer determines the points you will receive toward any missing work for this unit.

  1. The appeal of The Canterbury Tales comes partly from Chaucer's ability to match his stories with storytellers. In what ways is either the Wife of Bath's tale suitable to her OR how is the Pardoner's fable suitable to him? Cite evidence from the text to support your answer.
OR
  1. Compare the stories of the Wife of Bath and the Pardoner. Which character tells a better story? Why? Cite evidence from the story to support your answer. 

Sir Gawain & the Green Knight

Objective: To further understand the concept of the hero archetype, to understand the key points of a medieval romance, to review character traits, and to polish the ability to make inferences.

Resource: Readings of excerpts from Sir Gawain and the Green Knight https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMpEMyAJSl0

Lecture: https://youtu.be/q-bcmHH7bx0 

Guided: https://forms.gle/GC4hQmrCGtKnFXgP6 

Independent: https://forms.gle/vqarncipRnn8ZXN17 

Closure: Projects assigned will vary from class to class. Rubrics will be posted in the classroom if/when this closure is assigned.

Is honor worth dying for? What is honor today? These are questions that good medieval knights would have no issue answering. The code of chivalry made it plain that knights would die to defend particular ideas like a knight's church, his king, and a woman's virtue. Today, we differ in our beliefs regarding honor and what is or is not worth dying for. Get together with 3-4 classmates.
(1) Discuss honor, decide on a shared definition, and write the word 'honor' and the definition your group has chosen/created neatly at the top of the page.
(2) Discuss what code (rules) should be followed to show honor that does NOT involve the sacrifice of life. Include 8-10 'rules' your group agrees should be universal concepts of honor. Write these neatly down the middle of your page.
(3) Discuss whether or not there are any codes worth death to follow. Across the bottom of your page write the word 'sacrifice'. If your group feels there is nothing worth dying for, then explain WHY you have reached this consensus. If your group, via the majority, agrees there are certain concepts worth dying for, then list those (may only be one) and explain WHY your group feels the way it does. 
(4) Choose a 'speaker' from your group who will present you 'code of honor' to the class. Once all groups have shared their ideas, the teacher will lead the class in a debate/discussion for 10-15 minutes.
(5) After the full class discussion/debate, go back to your original groups. Turn your group's page over, discuss how your group felt about differing group's opinions, and write down a half page (bullets or paragraph) that summarizes your group's reactions to some of what their classmates said. If everyone had common beliefs, then write WHY or what your group thinks that says about your class and/or contemporary society in general.

Makeup Work: Answer ONE of the following questions in a 250 word, three paragraph, one page essay. The accuracy and detail of your answer determines the points you will receive toward any missing work for this unit.

  1. Imagine that you are a guest at King Arthur's court. Write a three paragraph eyewitness account about the Green Knight's first appearance. Include a description of the event and excerpts from 'interviews' with the Knights of the Round Table who were present.
OR
  1. Although Sir Gawain was always considered one of Arthur's most loyal and chivalrous knights, the Gawain Poet writes Sir Gawain as flawed. Although Sir Gawain is included in almost every King Arthur legend, this author wrote this version at the end of the 12th century, as chivalry was becoming less popular. Why might the author have written Sir Gawain as less than perfect when in previous versions this was not done. Could it have to do with changes in style or some other reason? 

Sir Thomas Malory

Objective: Review the concepts of internal versus external conflicts, strengthen the ideas surrounding character motivation and its importance as an element of writing, and practice summarizing a narrative.

Resources: Readings of excerpts from Le Morte d'Arthur

"The Siege of Benwick" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJqVm31UcZU

"The Day of Destiny" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rHsHBOc6kmc

Lecture: https://youtu.be/s8yVX4QqJW8 

Guided: https://forms.gle/CZrH6sUBZVEzaSbPA 

Independent: https://forms.gle/HcKsQsNr2EmdsR9b7 

Closure: Projects assigned will vary from class to class. Rubrics will be posted in the classroom if/when this closure is assigned.

Think about what happened in "The Siege of Benwick" and "The Day of Destiny". With a partner or on your own, choose one of those two sections to summarize in contemporary American English.
Feel free to be creative, using satire and/or appropriate slang if the idea appeals to you. You may do this in either video form using Adobe Sparks video OR using Google Slides. If making a video, then you will record the summary, using the 'slides' for relevant images and key words. If making a slide presentation, then the summary should be typed, with the sentences spread out evenly among the slides. You will still need to have corresponding images.
Either form should have a title 'slide' followed by EXACTLY FIVE 'slides'.

Makeup Work: Answer ONE of the following questions in a 250 word, three paragraph, one page essay. The accuracy and detail of your answer determines the points you will receive toward any missing work for this unit.

  1. Interpret Arthur's dream (lines 255-260) and/or his vision (lines 262-271). Use any or all of the following prompts to assist you. What is the signifigance of the well Arthur falls into and of the creatures that rip him apart? Why does the vision include ladies whom Gawain has fought for? Why is Gawain the messenger of news for Arthur? Why does Mallory include a dream and a vision? Why not just one or the other?
OR
  1. What is the KEY theme in the final battle, particularly regarding war? Use one or several of the following statements to fully formulate and discuss this theme: the war is almost over, but then is started again due to an accident; althgouh Arthur seems upset by the carnage, he still pushes himself to violence once he confronts his enemy; Arthur loses his life because he refuses to listen to advice; the leaders simultaneously kill each other; AND Arthur's enemy is his own (illigetimate) son. 

Sir Thomas More & Sir Francis Bacon

Objective: Review the nonfiction genre, discuss and practice rhetorical devices such as analogy, repetition, rhetorical question, and antithesis, and learn techniques for writing a double thesis. 

Resource: Readings of an excerpt from Utopia and the essays "Of Studies" and "Of Marriage" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TbDEhX5s6U

Lecture: https://youtu.be/HfmnbsSRQNY 

Guided: https://forms.gle/4CZ6xXYKD6JvsnTa8 

Independent: https://forms.gle/cxGBUoDphnRtC4xi6 

Closure: Projects assigned will vary from class to class. Rubrics will be posted in the classroom if/when this closure is assigned.

Time to research and write formally: it's your LAST foray into this realm in high school! You should go to the WRITING tab, and follow the directions on the 'XI. Informational Research Essay' post. A timeline and rubric will be discussed and posted in class.

Makeup Work: Answer ONE of the following questions in a 250 word, three paragraph, one page essay. The accuracy and detail of your answer determines the points you will receive toward any missing work for this unit.

  1. What should we expect from our leaders? Spend a paragraph reviewing the key characteristics More seems to revere in leaders from the Utopia excerpt. Use the next paragraph to list and explain three to five characteristics you revere in leaders. Use the third paragraph to compare and contrast your own and More's ideas OR use that third paragraph to discuss how society and/or society standards have or have not changed between the time More was writing and today.
OR
  1. How do you feel about Bacon's "Of Studies" of "Of Marriage and the Single Life"? Choose ONE of those two selections, then restate and either agree or refute each point that he made in the order in which they were written. Expand upon your own ideas regarding the topic of studying or marriage.

Margeret Cavendish

Objective: Emphasize the historical and cultural context prevelant in literary works, discuss the use of counterarguments, support and assumptions when making an argument, demonstrate the relevance of historic arguments to America today.

Resource: Reading of excerpt from "Female Orations" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmkwvs87A5U

Lecture: https://youtu.be/p9B9SEAS17E 

Guided: https://forms.gle/3C2iJmJ6PrVXGK6WA 

Independent: https://forms.gle/JJ6V2Dr9e1xJzoZ17 

Closure: Projects assigned will vary from class to class. Rubrics will be posted in the classroom if/when this closure is assigned.

For this closure, you will move forward with your informational research essay. You will complete the work on the WRITING tab, 'XIII. Final Draft'. You WILL have been directed to skip XII (a visual project), and the timeline and rubric will have already been posted in class.

Makeup Work: Answer ONE of the following questions in a 250 word, three paragraph, one page essay. The accuracy and detail of your answer determines the points you will receive toward any missing work for this unit.

  1. In what ways do the views expressed about gender in "Female Orations" differ from commonly accepted views in our society today? Briefly address all seven arguments and their change or relevance today, go into details about three or four views from the piece, OR discuss in detail how the term gender has evolved in today's political lexicon versus the very two-dimensional one discussed in this selction from the 17th century.
OR
  1. What activities do we consider appropriate for men today? What are activities associated still with women? Why or why not do you think this division occurs? Is it biological? Traditional? Socially learned? Why or why not? Why do humans like to have things in 'either/or' scenarios? Are there other important and relevant constructs that we divide today? Discuss any or all of these points.

Daniel Defoe

Objective: Understand the word/concept 'verisimilitude', continue the review of the nonfiction genre, and expand understading of cultural relevance between historic events and contemporary times.

Resource: Reading of an excerpt from A Journal of the Plague Year https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzz0SL38Pj8&t=66s

Lecture: https://youtu.be/Lvi6IUB-VDo 

Guided: https://forms.gle/Bd7XPD3efCcafbs98 

Independent: https://forms.gle/wnnmpYuMyeTPdYDbA 

Closure: Projects assigned will vary from class to class. Rubrics will be posted in the classroom if/when this closure is assigned.

For this activity, you will continue on the WRITING tab, moving to post 'XIV. Cause/Effect Versus Problem/Solution'. As with all other writing/project assignments, additional criteria, due dates, rubrics, and examples will be provided in class in association with the base lesson on the WRITING tab.

Makeup Work: Answer ONE of the following questions in a 250 word, three paragraph, one page essay. The accuracy and detail of your answer determines the points you will receive toward any missing work for this unit.

  1. Do a quick internet search, or borrow an encyclopedia from the library or classroom, about how doctors treated disease in 1600's in England. How did they 'treat' ill people? What did they believe caused the spread of disease? What treatments were most common? What do you think about what you find? Do you think doctors back then did more harm than good? What are some medical practices everybody knows today about which even 'professionals' were completely ignorant about in the 17th century?
OR
  1. Defoe published this piece decades after the epidemic had raged in London. Do you feel that Defoe wanted to create a realistic portrayal of the suffering caused by the plague or was he only interested in exploiting the tragedy to sell readers a sensational and shocking read? Why or why not? (Be SURE to cite from the text to bacl your opinion here.) Do writers sensationalize events today to sell articles/novels? Does the media sensationalize 'news' today? Do you think this was maore a problem then or a bigger problem now? Address any one of these questions in your response. 

Mary Wollstonecraft

Objective: Discuss the meanings and historic relevance of abstract words like freedom, equality, equity, and rights, expand on the ideas founded in the Enlightenment, and continue working with argumentative devices like claims and counterclaims.

Resource: Reading of an excerpt from "A Vindication of the Rights of Women" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZuuyRQeL3A&t=12s

Lecture: https://youtu.be/DdedCeOhzpI 

Guided: https://forms.gle/sSFw8hwR2HUKmmVz8 

Independent: https://forms.gle/HjihQ2aTm766obFE9 

Closure: Projects assigned will vary from class to class. Rubrics will be posted in the classroom if/when this closure is assigned.

For this activity, you will continue on the WRITING tab, moving to post 'XV. Another Final Draft'. As with all other writing/project assignments, additional criteria, due dates, rubrics, and examples will be provided in class in association with the base lesson on the WRITING tab.

Makeup Work: Answer ONE of the following questions in a 250 word, three paragraph, one page essay. The accuracy and detail of your answer determines the points you will receive toward any missing work for this unit.

  1. Consider why many historic politicians and writers have written about equality, yet, simultaneously, equal rights have historically been so difficult for people to achieve and keep in practice. How does a country ensure that all of its citizens are treated equally? Should the government of a country be responsible for the equity of its citizens? If someone or a group of people does not have rights, how is that person or group treated? Write down your thoughts about these issues and how you feel things have or have not changed since Wollstonecraft wrote this selction in the late 1700's.
OR
  1. What might Wollstonecraft say about women in popular culture today? If she were alive today, what issues about women's lives might she be concerned about? Which women and/or political ideologies might she most admire and which might she be the most inclined to criticize? Be sure to explain the reasons for your choices. 

John Donne & Ben Jonson

Objective: To be able to find and interpret the following literary elements: metaphysical conceit, paradox, epitaph, and rhyme particulars like end rhyme, rhyme scheme, exact rhyme, and slant rhyme.

Resource: Readings of the following poems: "A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning" and "Holy Sonnet 10" by John Donne; "On My First Son" and "Song to Celia" by Ben Johnson. https://youtu.be/uIl6KwX9W9o 

Lecture: https://youtu.be/Ze2ePjx9M98 

Guided: https://forms.gle/7VjFMuS8D9pc2Ms8A 

Independent: https://forms.gle/Qq1H82i4smpDNrb28 

Closure: Projects assigned will vary from class to class. Rubrics will be posted in the classroom if/when this closure is assigned.

How has the knowledge of death affected your life? Has it made you more cautious about your personal safety OR has it made you less fearful in your determination to live fully? Does death influence your relationships with others? Does it affect your appreciation of pleasure? How often does it enter your mine. 
Choose one of these options: (1) list and explain three ways in which the idea of death affects your life on a piece of paper,  (2) write a poem about hos death influences your life in an electronic format, OR (3) create a piece of visual art that represents your struggle with the concept of death using any simple medium.

Makeup Work: Answer ONE of the following questions in a 250 word, three paragraph, one page essay. The accuracy and detail of your answer determines the points you will receive toward any missing work for this unit.

  1. Compare and contrast Donne's "A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning" with Shakespeare's "Sonnet 116." No, we will not read "Sonnet 116" in class, so you will have to do so on your own. How do the depictions of love differ? How are they the same? How to the speakers differ? How are the they same" What about the woman to whom each speaker is referring? What are other differences and similarities in style, voice, context, use of figurative language etc.... Which poem do you like better and why?  
OR
  1. Compare and contrast the poems "On My First Son" and "Holy Sonnet 10," particularly in regard to how each speaker feels about death. Use evidence from each poem to list and explain differences regarding the speakers, the subject, use of figurative language, format, diction, style, tone, etc....

Andrew Marvell & Richard Lovelace

Objective: To be able to find and interpret the following literary elements: theme, figurative language, hyperbole, understatment, and metaphor (to include the differences between direct, implied, and extended).

Resource: Readings of the following poems: "To His Coy Mistress" by Andrew Marvell; "To the Virgins to Make Much of Time" by Robert Herrick; and "To Althea, from Prison" by Richard Lovelace. https://youtu.be/VhfBWXK14Qc 

Lecture: https://youtu.be/waGkYivQVfk 

Guided: https://forms.gle/17DQcptbtp7tFSuS7 

Independent: https://forms.gle/vPod9UbzGchNF8mR7 

Closure: Projects assigned will vary from class to class. Rubrics will be posted in the classroom if/when this closure is assigned.

Think about the aspect of the old acronym, YOLO (you only live once). If you aren't living for the moment, then what are you living for? The future? The past? Someone else? Or with no realy direction?
Think about these quesstions and then, working with one or two other classmates, identify the pros and cons of living for the moment. Come up with AT LEAST 5 clear pros and 5 obvious cons to oNLY thinking about today. Be prepared to share these with the class and for you and your group to contribute to a class pro/con list.

Makeup Work: Answer ONE of the following questions in a 250 word, three paragraph, one page essay. The accuracy and detail of your answer determines the points you will receive toward any missing work for this unit.

  1. In your opinion, how would each of the speakers from the poems "To His Coy Mistress," "To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time," and "To Althea from Prison" react to the kind of love described in "A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning?" Support your answer with evidence, text, directly from each poem. Use a paragraph to address EACH of the THREE comparisons.
OR
  1. Think about how women are portrayed in the four poems from question 1. Choose three of the poems to respond to the following questions. (Write a paragraph to address each of the three poems/speakers.) How would you describe the speaker's attitude toward women? What are some generalizations about the role of women in society can be deduced from the speaker? In what ways might we consider the poem and/or speaker to be offensive? Are there any positive points about women in the piece? 

*William Blake & Robert Burns

Objective: To be able to recognize and understand the power of symbolism in writing, particularly in poetry; to practice comparing and contrasting poems; to be able to look for and find descriptive words and how those word choices emphasize subject matter, common ideas, and the author's attitude; and to understand what dialect is and how it can be used to enhance writing.

Resource: Readings of the following poems: "The Lamb", "The Chimney Sweeper" (Songs of Innocence), "The LIttle Boy Lost", "The LIttle Boy Found", "The Tyger", and "The Chimney Sweeper" (Songs of Experience) by William Blake; "To a Mouse" and "To a Louse" by Robert Burns. https://youtu.be/-cp_qSFm9a0 

Lecture

Guided: https://forms.gle/5vD2nSGP5yG2wFga6 

Independent: https://forms.gle/E9kPoqyPB9FC5P966 

Closure: Projects assigned will vary from class to class. Rubrics will be posted in the classroom if/when this closure is assigned.

It is easy to take unremarkable everyday objects or events for granted. Yet much can be gained from appreciating the small things in life rather than looking past them. Write an ode, using informal format and language, about an object or event that may seem common and unremarkable, but that is an important part of life or even a common rite of passage.

Some points to consider might be ideas like where would we be without this thing or event? If you were stuck somewhere for a long a time what thing or event would you most miss? What thing are event can you not imagine life without, but was only invented a few decades ago? Or the transverse of that: what simple device or event has been around for hundreds of years, but has never lost importance?  

Makeup Work: Answer ONE of the following questions in a 250 word, three paragraph, one page essay. The accuracy and detail of your answer determines the points you will receive toward any missing work for this unit.

One critic has suggested that William Blake would pit himself against despotic authority and restrictive, institutionalized religion. He suggested that his pieces were so powerful due to: "His great insight into the way these separate modes of control work together to squelch what is most holy in human beings." In what way does this comment apply or not apply to the poems read by Blake in this class?

OR

Although Burns did not object to people calling him a "Heaven-taught plowman", he was in reality an ambitious, well-read poet with radical, political views. Why might Burns have encouraged the public to view him as a simple farmer rather than a sophisticated poet?

*William Wordsworth & George Gordon, Lord Byron

Objective: To understand what is meant by romanticism as a literary and artistic movement; to be able to identify stylistic elements in poetry like free-flowing sentences, inverted syntax, and unusual punctuation; to review the concepts of metaphors and similes; and to understand stanza construction, particularly the number of lines as demonstrated via terms like quatrain, sextet, octave, and Spenserian.

Resource: Readings of the following poems: "Composed upon Westminster Bridge, September 1802", "The World Is Too Much with Us", and "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud" by William Wordsworth; "She Walks in Beauty" and "When We Two Parted" by George Gordon, Lord Byron. https://youtu.be/Z9s1L41YdJU 

Lecture

Guided: https://forms.gle/psicsBMXKavWzSaF9 

Independent: https://forms.gle/T4ZQPTw2q4oo9QB47 

Closure: Projects assigned will vary from class to class. Rubrics will be posted in the classroom if/when this closure is assigned.

The Romantic poets wrote a lot about nature. It was most often viewed as serene or tranquil in these pieces, but nature can also be scary or violent.

Imagine you are standing on the top of a hill or mountain and you are viewing the ocean for the first time ever. Do you imagine it as peaceful? Surreal? Overwhelming? Beyond description? What emotions would one feel? What reactions might a person have, especially depending on the time of year and/or the weather on that day?

Poets write so much about nature because it is awe-inspiring. What causes our reactions to nature? What causes us to feel 'at one' with nature or to feel 'at odds' with it? For instance, even today, natural settings portrayed with the importance of characters are common in literature and film.

Think about these key points and then either alone or with a partner, use any form of creative writing you prefer (prose, drama, graphic novel, poetry, song lyrics...) and describe in great detail what a person seeing either the ocean or a dramatic mountain view for the first time would see and feel.

Feel free to build up a scenario or add more than one person, but you must hammer out ALL of the details: who, when, why, and the EXACT weather and time of day or night natural details.

Makeup Work: Answer ONE of the following questions in a 250 word, three paragraph, one page essay. The accuracy and detail of your answer determines the points you will receive toward any missing work for this unit.

Read the journal entry from the Grasmere Journals on page 809 in your textbook. Then complete a point-by-point analysis of the differences and between the prose and poem representations of the same place. Cite the text as you go through each key description. 

OR

According to the poet, T.S. Eliot: "Of Byron one can say...that he added nothing to the language, that he discovered nothing in the sounds, and developed nothing in the meaning of individual words." Based on Byron's poems in this class, do you agree or disagree with this comment? Explain the meaning of the comment and be sure to cite several examples from the text to make your point for or against Eliot's critique. 

*Percy Bysshe Shelley & John Keats

Objective: To understand the concept of the us of meter and foot in poetic rhythms; to review and apply the historical context to a piece of literature, particularly to a poem; to study and practice the poetic ode, use of imagery, and the structure of inverted syntax.  

Resource: Reading of the following poems: "Ozymandias", "Ode to the West Wind", and "England in 1819" by Percy Bysshe Shelley; "When I Have Fears That I May Cease to Be", "To Autumn", and "Ode to a Grecian Urn" by John Keats. https://youtu.be/1Q9gbLDwRX4 

Lecture

Guided: https://forms.gle/USfmebVUo29X2gRQ7 

Independent: https://forms.gle/1xEP4CUkV4Npcdz69 

Closure: Projects assigned will vary from class to class. Rubrics will be posted in the classroom if/when this closure is assigned.

With a partner or alone, write an ode of at least fifteen lines that commemorates a simple, everyday item AND contains imagery that apeals to all FIVE senses. You may use any format for the ode, but it must have a title, be an obvious ode that takes commemoration seriously, and display your understanding of poetry format (lines, stanzas, meter, punctuation, figurative language, and sound device). Your final ode must be impeccably and creatively finished but may be in handwritten, printed, music, or video form. 

Makeup Work: Answer ONE of the following questions in a 250 word, three paragraph, one page essay. The accuracy and detail of your answer determines the points you will receive toward any missing work for this unit.

Use your knowledge (gleaned from past history classes, gained from the textbook, or discovered online) about the political and social issues of Percy Bysshe Shelley's times. Review the three Shelley poems in this lesson and interpret each a protest poem. Using citations from the text, explain what each could be protesting. Then discuss what you would guess to have been his vision of an ideal society.

OR

Review the three poems by John Keats in this lesson. Some readers find Keat's poetry too ornate or over-done while others find its imagery still captivating. How do you feel about these poems? Citing an example from each poem, discuss how your chosen lines are either too ornate or still captivating. Close your discussion by writing about 2-3 other general key features you like or dislike about these three Keats' poems.

*Alfred, Lord Tennyson & Robert Browning

Objective: To better understand the importance of mood and speaker persona in a narrative poem and to be able to find a critique dramatic monologue in a narrative poem.

Resource: Reading of the following poems: "The Lady of Shalott" and "Crossing the Bar" by Alfred, Lord Tennyson; "My Last Duchess" and "Porphyria's Lover" by Robert Browning. https://youtu.be/xw_GM8nU5aE 

Lecture

Guided: https://forms.gle/kW3LNtwMpXtKm2mAA 

Independent: https://forms.gle/XxnA5hLT1mueCZEZ9 

Closure: Projects assigned will vary from class to class. Rubrics will be posted in the classroom if/when this closure is assigned.

Love in an extremely abstract concept. Indeed, the modern concept "soulmate" was an idea popularized by the poet from the last lesson, John Keats. This concept had little to do with marriage choices prior to the Victorian era, though, certainly, 'affairs of the heart' is a concept that has always been with humans in one form or another. This concept of basing marriage and life decisions on a 'soulmate' was seized upon by many poets including Tennyson and Browning until most people believe today that this concept of eternal love is normal and has been around forever. We see negative extremes to this idea in the poems in this lesson.

Thinking about the ideas of love and desperation, what does love mean to you? Is it madness? Is it bliss? Is it slow and steady? Do you think it is a contracted partnership? Do you think religion or government should have any part in it? Do you believe in the idea of waiting for the 'ONE' and cultivating an enduring monogamous relationship for your entire life? Do you think love is more temporary and something that changes over time? Do you think a series of relationships or a consenting, non-monogamous scenario is more realistic? How do your grandparents versus your parents versus you view love?

Taking any of these thoughts or others that might come to mind, write about what love means to you and how you plan to look for it in your life. You may turn this into a 3-4 paragraph reflection about love, a journalistic editorial, a well-constructed poem, a documented interview(s), a song, or a video. 

Makeup Work: Answer ONE of the following questions in a 250 word, three paragraph, one page essay. The accuracy and detail of your answer determines the points you will receive toward any missing work for this unit.

Using a chart, diagram, or paragraph, record the following observations. Identify the speaker in the two Tennyson poems. Next, list at least three emotions each of those speakers reveals. Then, cite the lines from the text that you used as the clues for each speaker's emotional responses. Lastly, discuss what you feel was the most effective or ineffective from each poem.

OR

In Browning's poems, we see two speakers who are not self-aware or sane! The less emotionally stable a person is, the less skewed their image of self may be. For the two Browning narrative poems, address this discrepancy using a chart, diagram, or paragraphs. You should do this by applying a compare and contrast scenario (think Venn diagram) for each poem/speaker. You should list and explain at least four self-image concepts each speaker has in each poem versus what you, the reader, see as the speaker's true nature. (This means four things the Duke thinks about himself versus how he really is based on his behavior AND four things the Lover thinks about himself versus his behavior.)  Once you have mapped these concepts out, then you should discuss which poem you feel is the most effective or least effective and why.

Anthony Trollope

Objective: Be able to discuss and understand the concepts and impact of realism with its complex characters, real life settings, and everyday diction choices; understanding the impact of folktales on literary archetypes and cultural interpretations; and the thought that goes into an author creating characters and a setting.

Resource: Reading of "Malachi's Cove" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lbEyp49C_Xc&t=2s

Lecture: https://youtu.be/q_TVmhUJ3Q8 

Guided: https://forms.gle/EcmtAC9CrTAShhf89 

Independent: https://forms.gle/XPoi6m3FwSwEBpp99   

Closure: Projects assigned will vary from class to class. Rubrics will be posted in the classroom if/when this closure is assigned.

Go to the WRITING tab and complete ACTIVITIES 2 (Invent a Character) and 6 (Create a Setting).

Makeup Work: Answer ONE of the following questions in a 250 word, three paragraph, one page essay. The accuracy and detail of your answer determines the points you will receive toward any missing work for this unit.

  1. This selection, as many selections do from this time period and anthology, has a basis in the term 'classism'. Define classism and explain it as a historic force in England, citing examples from the text. How does that societal standard play a role in the realism of this piece? How are some concerns regarding a classist system relevant or not relevant in America today?
OR
  1. Another key theme surrounding this piece is the idea of trustworthiness. What do you think are five qualitites that signal trustworthiness in a person? What are five behaviors that would make you wary of a person's trustworthiness? Describe a famous person who appears trustworthy. What characteristics make a person seem worth trusting? Which character has most of those characteristics in this piece? Address any or all of these points. 

Anton Chekov

Objective: Be able to discuss and understand the concepts and impact of naturalism with its use of narration, characters, skepticism about tradition, and avoidance of conventional plot; and explore how to create and use effectively the writing concepts of purpose, conflict, climax, and resolution.

Resource: Reading of "The Darling" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yr2JZHtqlY0&t=16s

Lecture: https://youtu.be/IHNy1jOayhA 

Guided: https://forms.gle/YMwfFJQkRcBo9BNc6 

Independent: https://forms.gle/NGuitLc7rWkucSv96 

Closure: Projects assigned will vary from class to class. Rubrics will be posted in the classroom if/when this closure is assigned.

Go to the WRITING tab and complete ACTIVITIES 8 (Determing Purpose and Conflict) and 12 (Write a Climax and Resoltion).

Makeup Work: Answer ONE of the following questions in a 250 word, three paragraph, one page essay. The accuracy and detail of your answer determines the points you will receive toward any missing work for this unit.

  1. Chekov organized "The Darling" in a series of repeated action. This device, parallel episodes, is used often in folk tales such as "The Three Little Pigs." Checkov uses this structure to emphasize the main character's negative pattern of behavior. Build a detailed chart that breaks the story up into the exposition, episode 1, episode 2, episode 3, and resolution (in the case antithesis) and detail each part of the story by summarizing what happens and explaining the point/signifigance.
OR
  1. Chekov is, of course, not a British writer; however, his influence in this era cannot be understated which is the reason he is included here. Anton Chekov is known for his use of realism, in particular an offshoot of that style, naturalism. Four typical elements of naturalism include: objective narration that conveys observations without judgment, characters driven by forces beyond their control, skepticism and sometimes hostitlity regarding traditional ideals and societal values, and the avoidance of conventional plot devices (i.e. plot points that are popularized and over-used like 'happily ever after'.)  Create a chart citing those four elements of naturalism and explain exactly how, using citations from the selection, that Chekov uses those elements in this story.

Katherine Mansfield

Objective: Review how point of view can be used as an effective tool, in particular, the third-person limited point of view used in this selection; more discusion of and practice with inferences and character motivation; and writing plot outlines and effective dialogue.

Resource: Reading of "A Cup of Tea" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YSvZP2-1x9I&t=31s

Lecture: https://youtu.be/-xI0fgHltFU 

Guided: https://forms.gle/ikhERuc6a4VqWT5s6 

Independent: https://forms.gle/bfK2wmNrgdcHD9aW7 

Closure: Projects assigned will vary from class to class. Rubrics will be posted in the classroom if/when this closure is assigned.

Go to the WRITING tab and complete ACTIVITIES 14 (Plot Outline) and 15/16 (Rough Draft with Dialogue).

Makeup Work: Answer ONE of the following questions in a 250 word, three paragraph, one page essay. The accuracy and detail of your answer determines the points you will receive toward any missing work for this unit.

  1. Generate a list of factors that determine a person's status in society. How migh a person's social standing affect his or her self image, perception of other's, and outlook on life? How does our society treat individuals of a higher social standing? How do those people treat other people? How does our society treat people deemed of having a low social standing? Who are those people? How do people of a low social standing treat other people? A democracy supposedly negates social class. Is this true? Is society LESS based on social standing today than when Mansfield wrote this selection or is society MORE dictated by social standing today?
OR
  1. John MIddleton Murray, the critic who became Mansfield's husband, praised her work for its realism. He often recalled how a printer remarked after reading a manuscript of hers, "But these kids are real!" Do you agree with this view of the realism in Mansfield's work? Be sure to support your answer with evidence from the text. What other pieces from the time have you read that reflect this same sense of realism?

Virginia Woolf

Objective: Understanding the role and impact of psychological fiction via devices like readers' impression, characters' motivation, the presence of internal conflict, and stream of consciousness; better understanding the role figurative language plays in prose; and the importance of symbols and themes in writing.

Resource: Reading of "The Duchess and the Jeweller" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Ge-HjIfnJQ&t=32s

Lecture: https://youtu.be/QRMfNB4YHzk 

Guided: https://forms.gle/P8YZ6Vw9i73pbW1ZA 

Independent: https://forms.gle/QMoktxessrBWUsBL6   

Closure: Projects assigned will vary from class to class. Rubrics will be posted in the classroom if/when this closure is assigned.

On the WRITING tab, complete ACTIVITIES 17/18 (Tweaking Symbols and Theme) and 19/20 (Final Draft).

Makeup Work: Answer ONE of the following questions in a 250 word, three paragraph, one page essay. The accuracy and detail of your answer determines the points you will receive toward any missing work for this unit.

  1. Consider whether wealth or social status are as important today as they were in the Britain of Woolf's time. What is similar and what is different? What observations from Woolf's story, if any, still seem relevant today? Why or why not? Expand upon your answer citing sections from the text. 
OR
  1. What lengths might someone of a high social standing go to in order to protect his or her own social reputation? Can you think of instances in contemporary American society where someone has attempted crimes in order to cover up things he or she may have wanted to hide to protect his or her social reputation? What novels have you read or films have you watched where protecting or promoting social status was a key part of the plot? Why do you think protecting one's social standing is more or less important today?

Elizabeth Bowen

Objective: Understand historic context in literature, identify the Gothic elements, identify elements from the Modern Era, and discuss how pacing and tone play a role in literature.

Resource: Reading of "The Demon Lover" https://youtu.be/30RzdphjuT4 

Lecture: https://youtu.be/G9PZYm-_nHg 

Guidedhttps://forms.gle/r5NpEmirhiWtmyZr5 

Independent: https://forms.gle/vrp755z4eHznfW7P7 

Closure: Projects assigned will vary from class to class. Rubrics will be posted in the classroom if/when this closure is assigned.

See WRITING tab, post XVII.

Makeup Work: Answer ONE of the following questions in a 250 word, three paragraph, one page essay. The accuracy and detail of your answer determines the points you will receive toward any missing work for this unit.

  1. Describe the thoughts and behavior of Mrs. Drover in each of the following scenes: lines 52-65, lines 73-100, and lines 150-160.
OR
  1. Reread the followin gpassages from the selection and explain in what specific ways each passage hints at important events presented later in the story: lines 43-45, lines 95-100, and lines 169-172.

George Orwell

Objective: Understand the relationship between cause and effect; understand the use of ambiguity and paradox in writing; and to understand the weight that symbols can carry.

Resource: Reading of "Shooting an Elephant" https://youtu.be/o_LwxUNsaAs 

Lecture: https://youtu.be/lTvy1xz-TJ4 

Guided: https://forms.gle/Un1BkH6Gqq5WkaCy8 

Independent: https://forms.gle/k1PEACy1yWXahh5E7 

Closure: Projects assigned will vary from class to class. Rubrics will be posted in the classroom if/when this closure is assigned.

See WRITING tab, post XVIII.

Makeup Work: Answer ONE of the following questions in a 250 word, three paragraph, one page essay. The accuracy and detail of your answer determines the points you will receive toward any missing work for this unit.

  1. Although Orwell says he despises the Imperialistic system for which he works (the British government), he doesn't use positive language for the Burmese either. For someone who says he is against the system of control exerted by the British, Orwell doesn't show any sympathy toward the Burmese. Support or refute this idea by using quotes from the text.
OR
  1. The elephant is a potent symbol. Think of everything an elephant might represent. What are unique characteristics about elephants? Why were they endangered? What is the meaning of the elephant in this story? What is the meaning of the elephant in American politics today? How would Orwell feel about America today? Explain what all of this means and how it is relevant/connected.  

Aphra Behn & Charlotte Smith

Objective: To practice identifying the speaker in a poem; to identify a lyric; to better understand poetry structure in regard to summarizing each stanza, noting where shifts in thought occur, and considering the overall effect of the physical structure of a poem.

Resource: Reading of the following poems: "On Her Loving Two Equally" by Aphra Behn and "Written at the Close of Spring" by Charlotte Smith. https://youtu.be/4QKPkJ_fM7g 

Lecture

Guidedhttps://forms.gle/ZjsdCGm9WWnJf2wD7 

Independent: https://forms.gle/E4KN1Gwd3PBPPwxWA 

Closure: Projects assigned will vary from class to class. Rubrics will be posted in the classroom if/when this closure is assigned.

During Aphra Behn's lifetime, over 90% of women could not write in England. One hundred years later when Charlotte Smith was writing, 60% of women could not write. It was bad, but it was getting better! Still, opportunities for women to be published were few and generally revolved around topics like cooking, spiritualism, fashion, deomstic advice, and childcare. Those women who spoke out and wrote boldy about all topics generally published anonymously in order to avoid scandal and ruined reputations. This class has looked at the smattering of available pieces by outspoken women writers from the 1600's to the 1900's, and you should be familiar with contemporary women writers or at least the film versions of their novels.
You assignment is to join a group of 2-4 students and decide the medium (informal essay using an electronic document, slide presentation, video, visual poster/diorama) in which you would like to complete a project about the progress of women over the last 400 years. This can focus on just the writers we have looked at, other writers with whom you are familiar, women artists, or women in any artistics or scientific field.  Be creative and have fun, but be sure to get approval before moving to far ahead.
Some points to consider include the following. How have things changed for women as writers? How long did this shift take? What is the percentage of women readers today? What is the percentage of published women writers today? Are there still gaps? Are there still topics not acceptable for women? You will have to do some basic research. Be sure to note somewhere on your piece an informal notation of where any facts that you used came from. 

Makeup Work: Answer ONE of the following questions in a 250 word, three paragraph, one page essay. The accuracy and detail of your answer determines the points you will receive toward any missing work for this unit.

  1. Identify the main idea of each section of the two poems. For "On Her Loving Two Equally" there are three stanzas to address and in "Written at the Close of Spring" address the three quatrains and closing couplet (four sections) of the sonnet form even though those sections are not spaced into stanzas. After writing out and explaining the main ideas in each section (seven between both) of each poem, discuss the ways in which the structure of each poem reinforces its meaning.
OR
  1. William Wordsworth once said about Smith's sonnets: "(They) appear to me the most exquisite, in which moral sentiments, affectios, or feelings are deduced from, and associated with, the scenery of nature." How does this interpretation apply to "Written at the Close of Spring." Write a paragraph discussing this and then compare this sonnet to any one of the Wordsworth poems we read earlier in the course.

Stevie Smith & Wole Soyinka

Objective: For students to recognize the 'voice' or persona in a poem; to understand the use of irony and how it lends meaning to poetry; to recognize satire and tone in a poem and the importance both aspects have in establishing the meaning of a poem

Resource: Reading of the following poems: "the Frog Prince" and "Not Waving but Drowning" by Stevie Smith; "Telephone Conversation" by Wole Soyinka. https://youtu.be/l7EZV4cPs1w 

Lecture

Guided: https://forms.gle/Y3rGyJprBTJEvL576 

Independent: https://forms.gle/1yqid27e8tDGqcmj9 

Closure: Projects assigned will vary from class to class. Rubrics will be posted in the classroom if/when this closure is assigned.

Many societies have had to confront the problem of racism. But how does racism develop? Are people born with an instinct for prejudice, and if not, how do they develop these attitudes? What causes a person to feel contempt for another on the basis of a flawed concept like 'race'. What do you think is the most repsonsible for causing racism? Is it human instinct, fear, ignorance, hatred, or something else? How can this problem be solved? Explore these ideas and discuss your solution to the problem alone or with a partner via any medium (written document, slide presentation, music lyrics, poem, or video). Be persuasive and creative. Be sure to get approval.  

Makeup Work: Answer ONE of the following questions in a 250 word, three paragraph, one page essay. The accuracy and detail of your answer determines the points you will receive toward any missing work for this unit.

  1. Stevie Smith said: "Being alive is like being in enemy territory." How is this belief reflected in her two poems from this lesson? Be clear and specific using information from her biography and citing text from these two poems.
OR
  1. Based on his biography and his poetry, what do you think Soyinka believes to be the cause of racism? Explain in detail why you agree or disagree with him.