Hey kids -
Monday we are going to the Media Center to READ! That's right - we're not going there to work on a project, or write essays or do research, we're going there so you can escape your little classroom desks and instead find a comfortable place to sit and read.
So, bring your independent reading book - you know, the one purchased with the generous grant I received from the East Brunswick Education Foundation - and meet me in the Media Center on Monday, December 22nd!
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Homework - British Literature
Periods 2,4,8/9:
Consider the choices made by Polanski and the student directors of Star Wars Macbeth - what was important to each director when transferring ideas from page to screen? Did he focus on character? Visual effects? Dialogue? Plot?
Write a reaction that answers the above question. Your response should be at least one half page, typed and double spaced if possible. Please follow rules of grammar and mechanics and present your ideas in an organized fashion.
If you want to refresh your memory, check out this link:
http://www.dcfr.net/macbeth/mainpage.html
Period 12: Since you did not view Star Wars Macbeth, please apply the above question to the Polanski version you viewed on Friday. If you want to watch Star Wars Macbeth and focus your response on it, feel free to do so - just go to the above link.
Consider the choices made by Polanski and the student directors of Star Wars Macbeth - what was important to each director when transferring ideas from page to screen? Did he focus on character? Visual effects? Dialogue? Plot?
Write a reaction that answers the above question. Your response should be at least one half page, typed and double spaced if possible. Please follow rules of grammar and mechanics and present your ideas in an organized fashion.
If you want to refresh your memory, check out this link:
http://www.dcfr.net/macbeth/mainpage.html
Period 12: Since you did not view Star Wars Macbeth, please apply the above question to the Polanski version you viewed on Friday. If you want to watch Star Wars Macbeth and focus your response on it, feel free to do so - just go to the above link.
Monday, December 8, 2008
LOST?
Do you ever get lost when trying to find something on the blog? If so, check out the upper left hand corner - yes, there's a search box and you can search within the blog to find what you're looking forward, instead of scouring the archives!
Feel better? If you still can't find what you're looking for, such as the info on the SAT Prep Boot Camp, scroll down an entry or two and look on December 3rd.
Feel better? If you still can't find what you're looking for, such as the info on the SAT Prep Boot Camp, scroll down an entry or two and look on December 3rd.
Writer's Workshop Assignment - RD of Paragraphs 1-3 Due Wednesday!
Step #1:
In the intro paragraph, reflect on a past experience that taught you something about the world around you. Take a moment and brainstorm a few memories.
Step # 2:
In the first paragraph, reveal your INITIAL reaction to an event, conversation, experience, etc. through the use of an informal anecdote. Refer to the section of Hornby's essay below for further clarification.
OH, MY SWEET CAROLINA by Ryan Adams: AN ESSAY BY NICK HORNBY
“A long time ago, when I was still teaching English to foreign students in a London language school, I gave private conversation lessons to an unhappy man who called himself Edward, even though that wasn't his name. Edward was an African living in Rome, where he was a foreign correspondent for his home-town newspaper, and he was unhappy because he was going through a divorce. But he was lucid in his unhappiness: he talked with regret, of course, but also with insight, and enormous intelligence, and his melancholy took him off to all sorts of interesting conversational places — places I never normally got to visit in the normal run of things. I remember the concentration our talks required, and the stillness and intensity they engendered; I knew that he was in pain, but when our fifty minutes were over I felt invigorated and inspired. When it was time for him to return to Rome, he asked me to go and stay with him, and I accepted the invitation.”
Step #3:
In the next section of your essay, continue by making either a contradiction to your initial observation OR further explaining your initial reaction on a deeper level. In this section, it's important to finish reporting your personal response to your experience, but do not offer analysis of the situation. Refer to the section of Hornby's essay below for further clarification:
“But when I got there, a few weeks later, he wasn't unhappy any more. He was revelling in his status as a single man, a status that, apparently, required very little self-reflection or intelligence: on the night I arrived, I found that he'd fixed us up with a couple of call-girls. I copped out, in my prissy English way, but he disappeared for forty-eight hours (leaving me with sole use of a beautiful apartment in the centre of Rome); when he came back, he told me he was engaged
Step #4:
Ok, the third section of the essay is crucial. The first sentence of your third section is the thesis statement – when you look back at the experience described in the first two paragraphs, what is your epiphany? In Hornby's essay, he reflects on his time with Edward and how Edward changes but what he truly realizes is larger than his experience with Edward - he realizes that "some people are at their best when they're miserable". Model this section of the essay by first producing a strong, active statement, like Hornby did - remember, less is more. Keep it simple - a statement - DO NOT USE "I think"!! BE STRONG!
Step #5:
To continue the 3rd paragraph, use an outside source to support your thesis – this could be a song, a scene from a film, a poem, a memory, a personal experience, a moment in a book, a quote, etc. Remember DON’T retell the story of the outside source, just use it to support your thesis statement like Hornby does below:
“Some people are at their best when they're miserable. Ryan Adams's beautiful Heartbreaker album is, I suspect, the product of a great deal of pain, and "Oh My Sweet Carolina" is its perfect, still centre, its faint heartbeat, a song so quiet that you don't want to breathe throughout its duration. (It helps that Adams got Emmylou Harris, the best harmony vocalist in the history of pop music, to sing with him on it.) On Adams's next album, Gold, he seems to have cheered up, and though that's good news for him, it's bad news for me, just as it was when Edward stopped being miserable. His upbeat songs are fine, but they sound a lot like other people's upbeat songs (you can hear the cheeriest incarnations of the Stones, Dylan and Van Morrison all over Gold); his blues gave him distinction.
Step 6:
Finally, you need to come to a conclusion about what it all means to you - this is your "Jerry Springer Final Thought". Tell the reader what you think about not revealing what could potentially be useful information, what harboring guilt can do to a person’s life, how you think excessive pride and ambition is actually a worthy quality, how bitterness toward others is actually the worst form of subjectivity. Do that and then wrap up the section with your “final thought”. See Hornby’s conclusion below:
“What rights do we have here? Are we entitled to ask other people to be unhappy for our benefit? After all, there are loads of us, and only one of them. And how can you be happy, really, if you are only ordinary in your happiness, but extraordinary in your grief? Is it really worth it? It sounds harsh, I know, but if you are currently romantically involved with someone with a real talent — especially a talent for songwriting — then do us all a favour and dump them. There might be a Heartbreaker — or a Blood On The Tracks or a Layla — in it for all of us. Thanks.”
In the intro paragraph, reflect on a past experience that taught you something about the world around you. Take a moment and brainstorm a few memories.
Step # 2:
In the first paragraph, reveal your INITIAL reaction to an event, conversation, experience, etc. through the use of an informal anecdote. Refer to the section of Hornby's essay below for further clarification.
OH, MY SWEET CAROLINA by Ryan Adams: AN ESSAY BY NICK HORNBY
“A long time ago, when I was still teaching English to foreign students in a London language school, I gave private conversation lessons to an unhappy man who called himself Edward, even though that wasn't his name. Edward was an African living in Rome, where he was a foreign correspondent for his home-town newspaper, and he was unhappy because he was going through a divorce. But he was lucid in his unhappiness: he talked with regret, of course, but also with insight, and enormous intelligence, and his melancholy took him off to all sorts of interesting conversational places — places I never normally got to visit in the normal run of things. I remember the concentration our talks required, and the stillness and intensity they engendered; I knew that he was in pain, but when our fifty minutes were over I felt invigorated and inspired. When it was time for him to return to Rome, he asked me to go and stay with him, and I accepted the invitation.”
Step #3:
In the next section of your essay, continue by making either a contradiction to your initial observation OR further explaining your initial reaction on a deeper level. In this section, it's important to finish reporting your personal response to your experience, but do not offer analysis of the situation. Refer to the section of Hornby's essay below for further clarification:
“But when I got there, a few weeks later, he wasn't unhappy any more. He was revelling in his status as a single man, a status that, apparently, required very little self-reflection or intelligence: on the night I arrived, I found that he'd fixed us up with a couple of call-girls. I copped out, in my prissy English way, but he disappeared for forty-eight hours (leaving me with sole use of a beautiful apartment in the centre of Rome); when he came back, he told me he was engaged
Step #4:
Ok, the third section of the essay is crucial. The first sentence of your third section is the thesis statement – when you look back at the experience described in the first two paragraphs, what is your epiphany? In Hornby's essay, he reflects on his time with Edward and how Edward changes but what he truly realizes is larger than his experience with Edward - he realizes that "some people are at their best when they're miserable". Model this section of the essay by first producing a strong, active statement, like Hornby did - remember, less is more. Keep it simple - a statement - DO NOT USE "I think"!! BE STRONG!
Step #5:
To continue the 3rd paragraph, use an outside source to support your thesis – this could be a song, a scene from a film, a poem, a memory, a personal experience, a moment in a book, a quote, etc. Remember DON’T retell the story of the outside source, just use it to support your thesis statement like Hornby does below:
“Some people are at their best when they're miserable. Ryan Adams's beautiful Heartbreaker album is, I suspect, the product of a great deal of pain, and "Oh My Sweet Carolina" is its perfect, still centre, its faint heartbeat, a song so quiet that you don't want to breathe throughout its duration. (It helps that Adams got Emmylou Harris, the best harmony vocalist in the history of pop music, to sing with him on it.) On Adams's next album, Gold, he seems to have cheered up, and though that's good news for him, it's bad news for me, just as it was when Edward stopped being miserable. His upbeat songs are fine, but they sound a lot like other people's upbeat songs (you can hear the cheeriest incarnations of the Stones, Dylan and Van Morrison all over Gold); his blues gave him distinction.
Step 6:
Finally, you need to come to a conclusion about what it all means to you - this is your "Jerry Springer Final Thought". Tell the reader what you think about not revealing what could potentially be useful information, what harboring guilt can do to a person’s life, how you think excessive pride and ambition is actually a worthy quality, how bitterness toward others is actually the worst form of subjectivity. Do that and then wrap up the section with your “final thought”. See Hornby’s conclusion below:
“What rights do we have here? Are we entitled to ask other people to be unhappy for our benefit? After all, there are loads of us, and only one of them. And how can you be happy, really, if you are only ordinary in your happiness, but extraordinary in your grief? Is it really worth it? It sounds harsh, I know, but if you are currently romantically involved with someone with a real talent — especially a talent for songwriting — then do us all a favour and dump them. There might be a Heartbreaker — or a Blood On The Tracks or a Layla — in it for all of us. Thanks.”
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
SAT Weekend Workshops
If you're interested in attending an SAT Weekend Boot Camp Workshop in January, check out the link below:
http://web.me.com/lapointe23/Site/About_Me.html
or email:
ArtemisEducation@gmail.com for more information
http://web.me.com/lapointe23/Site/About_Me.html
or email:
ArtemisEducation@gmail.com for more information
Monday, November 24, 2008
Reader's/Writer's Workshop Submission One Assignment - Rough Draft due
Original Essay taken from : http://www.mcsweeneys.net/2006/7/11moe.html
Reader's/Writer's Workshop Submission #1
Instructions in BOLD print
Original Essay in Italics
Step #1: Choose one of your favorite songs and take a moment to examine the lyrics. Consider what the speaker is saying, on a literal level. Identify any silly lines that do not make logical sense.
Step #2: Pretending that you are the songwriter's editor, you're going to craft a short letter to the songwriter questioning his use of language. Take a moment and read the following introduction by John Moe:
NOTES ON "SWEET CHILD O' MINE,"
AS DELIVERED TO AXL ROSE BY HIS EDITOR.
Hi, Axl,
`Just got your manuscript and demo for the song "Sweet Child O' (sic) Mine." I think we need to talk. As your editor, I am responsible for making your songs as cogent as possible, for helping them reach the high editorial standards your public has come to expect. With this one, I am certainly earning my keep. After several attempts to reach you by phone, I am sending along my notes. Please make appropriate fixes as soon as possible, at which point I can send them to copyediting and proofreading in time for your upcoming studio session.
Step #3: Begin to draft a writing that models Moe's essay. Begin with a similar introduction and continue to frame your essay by quoting lines and responding to them, modeling Moe's essay that follows. Use questions and logical, direct statements to address use of illogical statements.
She's got a smile that, it seems to me—Why equivocate? You weaken your point by framing this as a mere personal observation instead of a fact.
Reminds me of childhood memories—Redundant. You either have a memory or you're reminded of something. You're not reminded of a memory. Heavy-metal fans won't stand for such writing, my friend.
Where everything was as fresh as a bright blue sky—I asked around the office and no one is sure a blue sky is "fresh." You could have a blue sky at the end of a long, sweaty day and there would be nothing fresh about it. And she reminds you of a time when things were fresh? Fond reminiscences of freshness are no foundation for love. Fix.
Now and then when I see her face it takes me away to that special place—Again, you're weakening your own argument. Why does the sight of her face transport you only periodically? And is it just her smile or her entire face that does this to you? Because you've already said both. Consistency, Axl!
And if I stared too long, I'd probably break down and cry—Why would you do that? Because you miss the freshness you described earlier? I think the whole "fresh" thing is really tripping you up. Also, crying? Wimpy.
OK, on to the second verse.
She's got eyes of the bluest skies—See, this is just getting worse. Now her eyes are made of sky? Nice imagery, but you just got done saying her smile reminded you of memories of sky. Is this verse actually supposed to be a second draft of the first verse? Am I just confused on formatting? Help!
As if they thought of rain—Axl, eyes can't think of rain. And even if they could, which they can't, why would bluest skies think of rain? Perhaps less imagery of thinking eyes made of sky and more direct exploration of your feelings?
I hate to look into those eyes and see an ounce of pain—Well, hell. I guess in your special Axl World anything is possible. Eyes can be made of sky, ponder the weather, and exhibit pain in amounts that can be weighed.
Step #4:
Take a moment and continue reading Moe's essay. Incorporate one or two word commands as independent sentences such as "Delete. Fix. Do something." This is harder to do than it seems – make sure that you are choosing strong, active words.
Her hair reminds me of a warm safe place where as a child I'd hide—Delete. Fix. Do something. You'd hide in a place that reminded you of hair? Never show me such phrases again.
And pray for the thunder and the rain to quietly pass me by—Whew. OK, listen to me now: Thunder can't quietly do anything. It's thunder. And, more importantly, do you really want to come across as a wuss who's constantly on the verge of weeping and skittering into hair caves to escape from rain? Is this a song about love or climatic anxiety? You need to work these things out.
Step #5: Read the conclusion of the essay and then choose a persuasive technique to employ as your final appeal – you can use either a logical, emotional, or ethical appeal – and then, wrap it up!
Finally, Axl, I think we might have had a misunderstanding regarding my previous notes. When I wrote in colored pencil "Where do we go now?" I wasn't offering that as a lyric. I was simply observing that, in narrative terms, the song needed to progress in some way. You love the girl, she's helping you work through some issues, whatever. So where do we go now? But instead of providing a satisfactory conclusion, you simply took my note and repeated it over and over again before ultimately just stating the title of the song. This is unacceptable. Don't ask us, the listeners, where we go. That's up to you as the writer! Tell us where we go now!
Again, let's try to fix these things soon and get "Sweet Child of Mine" ("My Sweet Child"?) into your fans' hands as quickly as possible. Because, frankly, if it should ever hit the street in its current form, the song would be a colossal failure.
Talk soon!
Your Editor
Reader's/Writer's Workshop Submission #1
Instructions in BOLD print
Original Essay in Italics
Step #1: Choose one of your favorite songs and take a moment to examine the lyrics. Consider what the speaker is saying, on a literal level. Identify any silly lines that do not make logical sense.
Step #2: Pretending that you are the songwriter's editor, you're going to craft a short letter to the songwriter questioning his use of language. Take a moment and read the following introduction by John Moe:
NOTES ON "SWEET CHILD O' MINE,"
AS DELIVERED TO AXL ROSE BY HIS EDITOR.
Hi, Axl,
`Just got your manuscript and demo for the song "Sweet Child O' (sic) Mine." I think we need to talk. As your editor, I am responsible for making your songs as cogent as possible, for helping them reach the high editorial standards your public has come to expect. With this one, I am certainly earning my keep. After several attempts to reach you by phone, I am sending along my notes. Please make appropriate fixes as soon as possible, at which point I can send them to copyediting and proofreading in time for your upcoming studio session.
Step #3: Begin to draft a writing that models Moe's essay. Begin with a similar introduction and continue to frame your essay by quoting lines and responding to them, modeling Moe's essay that follows. Use questions and logical, direct statements to address use of illogical statements.
She's got a smile that, it seems to me—Why equivocate? You weaken your point by framing this as a mere personal observation instead of a fact.
Reminds me of childhood memories—Redundant. You either have a memory or you're reminded of something. You're not reminded of a memory. Heavy-metal fans won't stand for such writing, my friend.
Where everything was as fresh as a bright blue sky—I asked around the office and no one is sure a blue sky is "fresh." You could have a blue sky at the end of a long, sweaty day and there would be nothing fresh about it. And she reminds you of a time when things were fresh? Fond reminiscences of freshness are no foundation for love. Fix.
Now and then when I see her face it takes me away to that special place—Again, you're weakening your own argument. Why does the sight of her face transport you only periodically? And is it just her smile or her entire face that does this to you? Because you've already said both. Consistency, Axl!
And if I stared too long, I'd probably break down and cry—Why would you do that? Because you miss the freshness you described earlier? I think the whole "fresh" thing is really tripping you up. Also, crying? Wimpy.
OK, on to the second verse.
She's got eyes of the bluest skies—See, this is just getting worse. Now her eyes are made of sky? Nice imagery, but you just got done saying her smile reminded you of memories of sky. Is this verse actually supposed to be a second draft of the first verse? Am I just confused on formatting? Help!
As if they thought of rain—Axl, eyes can't think of rain. And even if they could, which they can't, why would bluest skies think of rain? Perhaps less imagery of thinking eyes made of sky and more direct exploration of your feelings?
I hate to look into those eyes and see an ounce of pain—Well, hell. I guess in your special Axl World anything is possible. Eyes can be made of sky, ponder the weather, and exhibit pain in amounts that can be weighed.
Step #4:
Take a moment and continue reading Moe's essay. Incorporate one or two word commands as independent sentences such as "Delete. Fix. Do something." This is harder to do than it seems – make sure that you are choosing strong, active words.
Her hair reminds me of a warm safe place where as a child I'd hide—Delete. Fix. Do something. You'd hide in a place that reminded you of hair? Never show me such phrases again.
And pray for the thunder and the rain to quietly pass me by—Whew. OK, listen to me now: Thunder can't quietly do anything. It's thunder. And, more importantly, do you really want to come across as a wuss who's constantly on the verge of weeping and skittering into hair caves to escape from rain? Is this a song about love or climatic anxiety? You need to work these things out.
Step #5: Read the conclusion of the essay and then choose a persuasive technique to employ as your final appeal – you can use either a logical, emotional, or ethical appeal – and then, wrap it up!
Finally, Axl, I think we might have had a misunderstanding regarding my previous notes. When I wrote in colored pencil "Where do we go now?" I wasn't offering that as a lyric. I was simply observing that, in narrative terms, the song needed to progress in some way. You love the girl, she's helping you work through some issues, whatever. So where do we go now? But instead of providing a satisfactory conclusion, you simply took my note and repeated it over and over again before ultimately just stating the title of the song. This is unacceptable. Don't ask us, the listeners, where we go. That's up to you as the writer! Tell us where we go now!
Again, let's try to fix these things soon and get "Sweet Child of Mine" ("My Sweet Child"?) into your fans' hands as quickly as possible. Because, frankly, if it should ever hit the street in its current form, the song would be a colossal failure.
Talk soon!
Your Editor
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