October 31 ... Webquest Quiz Postponed - Begin reading Macbeth Act I

Webquest quiz postponed until Thursday due to technical/Canvas difficulties. Webquest notes due Thursday as well. 

Today we will begin reading Act I of Macbeth. The audio version of the play also shows a simplified version of the scene being acted out to help with understanding.

NO PHONES IN CLASS TODAY. NO EARBUDS. NO ELECTRONIC DEVICES. 

However, I recommended that you also follow in the Lit Book OR, since the language can be dense at times, online with “No Fear Shakespeare” at the link below:

http://m.sparknotes.com/nfs/macbeth/#google_vignette

With these available resources, there should be no reason for the language to be a barrier to understanding and appreciating the story. 

As we read, you should also be working on the study questions for the act. 

October 26 ... Shakespeare/Macbeth Webquest

FIRST ... Finish and turn in/submit your journal from yesterday.  Then move on to the Webquest.  We will work on the Webquest in class Today, Friday (remember that classes will be SHORT), and Monday.  We will quiz over the material on Tuesday and then begin reading Macbeth.



Use the links on the copy of the webquest below to visit the websites indicated to research the questions for each section.  You will write a brief paragraph for each section answering all questions.  We will quiz over the material next week.

The Macbeth Web Quest

In order to complement our study of “Macbeth”, we will be exploring the life and times of William Shakespeare, as well as looking into the historical background of the play.

The task

Go through the various topics, reading carefully the information contained in the web links. You will write a brief paragraph to respond to or answer all questions asked in each section - this will be submitted for a daily grade.  You will also be quizzed (probably multiple choice) over this information .. so make sure you do your own research and are familiar with it.

1. Shakespeare’s life and times

·        What do we know about Shakespeare as a man? What are some important biographical details that we need to be aware of?

·        What was life like in his time? What was the society he lived in?

http://internetshakespeare.uvic.ca/Library/SLT/life/lifesubj.html

http://www.folger.edu/template.cfm?cid=865&CFID=7649660&CFTOKEN=2df6ef89e230317d-FBD73EA4-1CC4-74E0-1CF48FF39DDAD48D

2. Shakespeare’s theatre

·        What did theatre look and work like in Shakespeare’s time?

·        What do we know about acting, costumes and audiences in Shakespeare’s time?

·        What do we know about Shakespeare as a theatre man?

·        Be sure to take an interactive tour of Shakespeare’s Globe.

http://www.bardweb.net/globe.html

https://www.enotes.com/topics/shakespeares-globe-theatre

3. King James

King James was the king at the time that Shakespeare wrote and performed “Macbeth”.

·        How did James become king?

·        What was he like as a king?

·        What was the political climate in England at the time?

·        How was James connected to “Macbeth”?

http://internetshakespeare.uvic.ca/Library/SLT/history/jamessubj.html

4. Witchcraft

Christianity continued to dominate people’s lives in the Renaissance period. People regarded witchcraft as the work of the Devil. They often went on witch hunts which resulted in the deaths of many people, especially women.

·        How was King James connected to the campaign against witches and witchcraft?

http://internetshakespeare.uvic.ca/Library/SLT/ideas/witches.html

5. The Real Macbeth

·        Was there a “real” person named Macbeth? What did Shakespeare use as his inspiration for writing this play?

·        What was Shakespeare’s historical source for “Macbeth”?

http://www.pathguy.com/macbeth.htm

6. The Macbeth Curse

Over the years, people have reported suffering misfortunes, injuries and deaths after being associated with this play. Some assert that the play is cursed.

·        Why do people think the play is cursed?

·        Where did this idea originate?

http://www.austinchronicle.com/gyrobase/Issue/story?oid=oid%3A78882

October 25 ... Macbeth Pre-Reading Journal

400 Words Total ... Choose up to 4 of the questions ... You may submit in CANVAS or turn in a written copy to the black tray on my desk.  Due no later that tomorrow 10/26.  Quiz grade.

1. Is evil inherent in human nature? That is, are some people just “born evil,” or is evil caused by circumstance or environment?

2. Are women “naturally” more evil than men?

3. Are our lives determined by fate, or by the acts of our free will?

4. Is redemption truly possible? That is, is it possible to commit an act of genuine evil and truly recover from it?

5. Is it possible to admire or respect a person whom you know has committed acts of genuine evil?

6. Do “the ends justify the means”? That is, if one uses morally evil methods to acquire a goal, is that goal forever tainted or polluted by the actions one has taken to achieve it?

FRIDAY THE 13TH ... Finish stuff up and turn stuff in, it's the end of the 9 weeks!

Good guys vs Galveston Ball tonight at 7:00 in Galveston .. at Galena Park (at GPISD Stadium) next Friday at 7:00.


DUE ...

• SHIELD PROJECT - Make sure your shield and letter both have your name on them and (if possible) are stapled together.  Turn in to the black tray on my desk!

• ALL CANVAS BASED ASSIGNMENTS - Have been extended until midnight tonight.  Let me know immediately if you have any technical difficulties.

• 9 WEEK TEST ... If you missed it yesterday, make it up today.  No phones out/visible while you are testing.

• BEOWULF TEST ... Bordelon, Bracknell, Dowdy, and Head ... LAST CHANCE TO TAKE THIS OR MAKE THIS UP.

Beyond that ... enjoy your break.  If your parents/guardians need to visit with me, we have parent teacher conferences on Monday, October 16 and I'll be here all day.  Otherwise, stay safe, stay out of trouble, and be ready for Shakespeare when you come back.

October 11 ... Today and the rest of the week ...

• Today ... Journal 10/11 ... Complete in Canvas.  Must be submitted by Midnight on Friday.

• The Pardoner's Tale - QUIZ - Available for one more day ... remember you can retake it up to 3 times and will receive the highest grade you achieve on it.  Last opportunity today on this, though.  It closes at midnight.

• 9 Week Test - In class tomorrow - NO PHONES WILL BE ALLOWED AT ALL DURING TESTING (THIS INCLUDES ONCE YOU ARE FINISHED)!  I will be out for the District Cross Country Meet ... Mrs. Lausch will be the sub ... if she has any questions or issues with you, your exam will be voided and you will receive a 0.  If she has any concern that any student has compromised exam security, ALL EXAMS WILL BE VOIDED and there will be a retake of a different version of the exam on Friday.  No phones - no problems.  Be smart.
• If you need time to complete the exam beyond the available class time on Thursday, you will be provided with whatever time you need (up to the entire period) on Friday.

• Shield Project is due on Friday - be sure you complete both parts ... Your original shield itself (55%) and the letter to your future generations explaining your choices (45%).  Keep in mind it is a major grade.

October 6 ... Pardoner's Tale Quiz (Canvas) and Continuing the Shield Project

• 4th Period English IV - Complete the "Journal 10/6" Assignment on Canvas - you will type and submit your journal there.  Due today.

• Pardoner's Tale Quiz - Should be available on Canvas.  You must get it taken by Tuesday.  You may take it up to three times - your highest grade will be posted to the grade book.

• Continue work on your Shield Project - DUE Friday 10/13 ... MAJOR GRADE
• Shield - Original Artwork on at least 8 1/2 x 11 paper
• Minimum 3 Symbols (ORDINARIES)
• Must use 2 or more colors (TINCTURES) and have a reason for them
• See the recommended website for research or find your own
• Shield Letter - Compose a letter to your future generations explaining your choices for symbols and colors.

• 9 Week Test - Work on Thursday 10/12 in class (and Friday as necessary) - CBA style exam
• Will provide a list of concepts and ideas for review on Tuesday 10/10, but there isn't really a "review" for this style of exam.

October 5 ... The Shield Project

• Review Policies ...
• 10/10 Rule
• Cell Phone Policy
• Hall Pass/Restroom Pass and Cellphones

• Shield Project - DUE Friday 10/13 ... MAJOR GRADE
• Shield - Original Artwork on at least 8 1/2 x 11 paper
• Minimum 3 Symbols (ORDINARIES)
• Must use 2 or more colors (TINCTURES) and have a reason for them
• See the recommended website for research or find your own
• Shield Letter - Compose a letter to your future generations explaining your choices for symbols and colors.
• 9 Week Test - Work on Thursday 10/12 in class (and Friday as necessary) - CBA style exam
• Will provide a list of concepts and ideas for review on Tuesday 10/10, but there isn't really a "review" for this style of exam.

• Pardoner Tale Quiz - TOMORROW ... Probably on Canvas.  So you have one more day to read and prep.

September 28 ... Continuing the WebQuest

OBJ ... TLW research and gather important background information over The Middle Ages/Medieval Period and The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer.


GUIDING QUESTION ... What elements and features of Medieval England influenced the way people lived and the literature of the time (particularly Chaucer's "The Canterbury Tales").

• Get your assigned laptop (the one that matches your desk number) as you arrive.

• Get your assigned laptop from the cart along with a copy of the WebQuest (there is a stack of them on top of the cart).

• Using the websites indicated (and it will be easier to go to this blog and scroll down to the webquest posted below so that you can CLICK on the link instead of trying to retype it all), research the information there and use the questions to guide what details you are looking to locate within the pages of information.

• We will begin working on this today - but will continue working on it tomorrow as well.

WebQuest Posted Below ... 

THE MIDDLE AGES, CHAUCER, AND THE CANTERBURY TALES

Visit the sites indicated below and collect the answers to the questions.

I. Life in the Middle Ages: http://www.learner.org/interactives/middleages/

   Explore each of the following sections:

Feudal Life

What was the hierarchy of the feudal system?

Explain the Magna Carta and its purpose.

Relate one item learned about Peasant Life.

Relate one item learned about the Role of Women.

Religion

Differentiate between bishops and priests.

List one thing learned about monks or nuns.

Homes

Differentiate between the homes of the poor and the homes of the wealthy.

Clothing

Differentiate between the clothing of the poor and the clothing of the wealthy.

What piece of jewelry is mentioned from the Canterbury Tales and what is its inscription?

Health

When were antibiotics invented?

Explain a myth re: health.

What is a humor?

Explain one way of treating or healing a person.

Arts and Entertainment

Discuss two things learned about arts and entertainment of the Middle Ages.

Town Life

What items did people use for trade?

What would they trade for?

Discuss the government of this time.

Tell one thing learned about the first companies.

II. Geoffrey Chaucer:  http://csis.pace.edu/grendel/projs4a/chaucer.html

When and where was Geoffrey Chaucer born?

Describe Chaucer’s upbringing.

List three duties/positions Chaucer held.

When did Chaucer begin writing the Canterbury Tales and when did he stop?

III.  The Literature: http://www.enotes.com/canterbury-tales

List 3 different reasons the Canterbury Tales were and are important:

IV. Pilgrimages: http://www.godecookery.com/pilgrims/pilgrm02.htm

Why did people go on pilgrimages in the medieval times?

What was another popular pilgrimage besides Canterbury?

V. The Canterbury Tales:

http://www.cummingsstudyguides.net/Guides3/Canterbury.html#Narration

Where specifically are the pilgrims going?

Explain the concept of a frame tale/story.

How many stories did Chaucer plan to write?

How many stories did Chaucer actually finish?

           

http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/canterbury/summary.html

Go to "Plot Overview"

           

          What types of people are on this pilgrimage? List 5 specific characters and a piece of     

          interesting information about each character.

          What does this say about who Chaucer is interested in writing about?

           

Go to "Themes and Motifs"

            List and explain 3 themes found in these tales.

           

            Define 2 common motifs of Chaucer's tales.

The General Prologue and the Tales: Type http://www.courses.fas.harvard.edu/~chaucer/canttales/gp

            Where does everyone meet?

            How many pilgrims will be on this trek? (including Chaucer)

            How many tales will each person tell? 

            What is the reward for the best tale?

Click on and read the section about the springtime setting for the Tales. Why might a reader think this is a set of stories or poems about love?

Click on The Road to Canterbury and look at the map of the pilgrims’ trip. What are the names of two towns or places that they will pass through on their journey?

September 27 ... The Medieval Period, Chaucer, and The Canterbury Tales

OBJ ... TLW research and gather important background information over The Middle Ages/Medieval Period and The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer.


GUIDING QUESTION ... What elements and features of Medieval England influenced the way people lived and the literature of the time (particularly Chaucer's "The Canterbury Tales").

• On your assigned desk (or table spot), there is a number in the upper right hand corner.  This number corresponds to the laptop you will use while you are in this seat.  You are responsible for the care of this laptop while you are in this class.  Any damage you see on this laptop is you responsibility to report - and damage you do to it is your responsibility to report as well.  Be careful handling these ... DO NOT CARRY THEM BY THE SCREEN.

• Get your assigned laptop from the cart along with a copy of the WebQuest (there is a stack of them on top of the cart).

• Using the websites indicated (and it will be easier to go to this blog and scroll down to the webquest posted below so that you can CLICK on the link instead of trying to retype it all), research the information there and use the questions to guide what details you are looking to locate within the pages of information.

• We will begin working on this today - but will continue working on it tomorrow as well.

WebQuest Posted Below ... 

THE MIDDLE AGES, CHAUCER, AND THE CANTERBURY TALES

Visit the sites indicated below and collect the answers to the questions.

I. Life in the Middle Ages: http://www.learner.org/interactives/middleages/

   Explore each of the following sections:

Feudal Life

What was the hierarchy of the feudal system?

Explain the Magna Carta and its purpose.

Relate one item learned about Peasant Life.

Relate one item learned about the Role of Women.

Religion

Differentiate between bishops and priests.

List one thing learned about monks or nuns.

Homes

Differentiate between the homes of the poor and the homes of the wealthy.

Clothing

Differentiate between the clothing of the poor and the clothing of the wealthy.

What piece of jewelry is mentioned from the Canterbury Tales and what is its inscription?

Health

When were antibiotics invented?

Explain a myth re: health.

What is a humor?

Explain one way of treating or healing a person.

Arts and Entertainment

Discuss two things learned about arts and entertainment of the Middle Ages.

Town Life

What items did people use for trade?

What would they trade for?

Discuss the government of this time.

Tell one thing learned about the first companies.

II. Geoffrey Chaucer:  http://csis.pace.edu/grendel/projs4a/chaucer.html

When and where was Geoffrey Chaucer born?

Describe Chaucer’s upbringing.

List three duties/positions Chaucer held.

When did Chaucer begin writing the Canterbury Tales and when did he stop?

III.  The Literature: http://www.enotes.com/canterbury-tales

List 3 different reasons the Canterbury Tales were and are important:

IV. Pilgrimages: http://www.godecookery.com/pilgrims/pilgrm02.htm

Why did people go on pilgrimages in the medieval times?

What was another popular pilgrimage besides Canterbury?

V. The Canterbury Tales:

http://www.cummingsstudyguides.net/Guides3/Canterbury.html#Narration

Where specifically are the pilgrims going?

Explain the concept of a frame tale/story.

How many stories did Chaucer plan to write?

How many stories did Chaucer actually finish?

           

http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/canterbury/summary.html

Go to "Plot Overview"

           

          What types of people are on this pilgrimage? List 5 specific characters and a piece of     

          interesting information about each character.

          What does this say about who Chaucer is interested in writing about?

           

Go to "Themes and Motifs"

            List and explain 3 themes found in these tales.

           

            Define 2 common motifs of Chaucer's tales.

The General Prologue and the Tales: Type http://www.courses.fas.harvard.edu/~chaucer/canttales/gp

            Where does everyone meet?

            How many pilgrims will be on this trek? (including Chaucer)

            How many tales will each person tell? 

            What is the reward for the best tale?

Click on and read the section about the springtime setting for the Tales. Why might a reader think this is a set of stories or poems about love?

Click on The Road to Canterbury and look at the map of the pilgrims’ trip. What are the names of two towns or places that they will pass through on their journey?

September 25 ... Beowulf Review

We will test over Beowulf tomorrow .. the notes/questions below in addition to your reading questions and knowledge of the material from your reading should be enough to make sure you are successful on the test.

• Some of the conventions of epic an epic are: long, narrative poetic form; usually based on historical facts (to some degree), includes kennings, and includes stock epithets.

• Epic heroes have super-human characteristics, are usually of noble birth, their strengths or postive qualities echo what their society most values, and their actions will determine the fate of others.

• Kennings are wordplays used to rename something ... a "whale road" would be the ocean .. a "fire-spitting terror" would be a dragon.

• Alliteration is a poetic device where words in a series will begin with the same initial consonant sound (you can usually see this because they will often start with the same letter as well).

• Anglo-Saxon storytellers were called scops.

The remainder of the test comes from the IRQs or the excerpts in the literature book.  You'll also want to know some of the details about the poem ... who wrote it?  What language was it in originally?  Where is it set (hint .. it's NOT set in England)?  What influence did Christianity have on the poem over time?

Be sure you have read and reviewed all three major battles in the story - Grendel, Grendel's Mother, and the Dragon.