Ms. Enzweiler

Start Reviewing for the Final Exam

The final exam is comprehensive so you need to find all your old tests, your notes, and your textbook.  Begin revisiting the material now and it won't seem so overwhelming for you next week.  The following material will NOT be on the final exam:  summer readings, The Last Kingdom, and vocabulary from Sadlier Oxford.  Everything else is fair game.  To give you some direction, I am downloading two documents that have study questions and terms.  Use them to jog your memory or to identify areas you need to concentrate on.  Don't try to write out answers to all the questions (unless you just have nothing else to do).

Keep in mind that you will be able to make an index card in class next Wednesday that you will be able to use on the test.  We have discussed the value of that card (in my eyes, anyway), but do decide what types of info you want to write on that card and then spend your study time elsewhere.

Download Study Guide for Brit Lit Final Spring 2008

Download Terms to know for the final exam 2008

For those of you who want the characteristics of Romanticism juxtaposed with the characteristics of Neoclassicism, here is the introductory PowerPoint I used in class:

Download Romanticism Introduction

Don't Forget . . .

Reminders:

 

F   PBS is broadcasting King Lear on channel 8 tonight.  It begins at 9:00 p.m. and goes until midnight.  Channel 30 is broadcasting it on Saturday night beginning at 8:00 p.m.  The program runs for three hours so you might want to TIVO it if you have that capability (or contact a friend who has that capability and maybe you can all watch it together).  Once you have watched the program, see me for essay prompts.  The deadline for turning in the essay will be May 1.  I think that everyone should have had time to watch the taped program by then.

F   First, second & third block, your 10 notecards from your second novel are due Thursday.  Fourth block, yours are due Friday.

 

Renaissance Test Review:

 

The test covers Hamlet, Elizabethan theater, and sonnets.

 

If you have not already done so, read the section on Elizabethan theater in your textbook; it begins on page 290.  You want to pay attention to the physical theater building itself, the production of the plays, the props, costumes, scenery, audiences, etc.

 

Know the following terms:

F   soliloquy

F   aside

F   iambic pentameter

F   heroic couplet

F   turn (as in sonnet turn)

F   revenge tragedy

F   metaphor

F   simile

F   hyperbole

F   personification

F   tragedy

F   tragic hero

F   anachronism

 

Sonnets:

F   Petrarchan vs. Shakespearian

F   characteristics of a sonnet

F   definition of a sonnet

 

Practice analyzing the sonnets in our textbook—how would you go about determining whether one was Petrarchan or Shakespearian?  How would you determine the theme?  Can you paraphrase them?

 

Hamlet

F   know the purpose of each act

F   know the plot of the play; the sequence of events

F   know Hamlet’s problems and his tragic flaw

F   be able to explain why the play is a revenge tragedy

 

 

Look at the list of conventions I gave you before we started the play and make sure you know how they are used in the play.  Look at the motifs in the play and think of times they are reflected in the play (don’t worry about meta-drama).  Practice picking out examples of figurative language and sensory imagery in various speeches in the play.

 

Finally, think about Shakespeare in Love in the context of historical fiction.  How is it a true/false representation of Elizabethan drama? 

 

Here is the document we used to practice figurative language on Beyond Question.

Download Figurative Language and Hamlet

Just an Update

Bulletin Board:

 

P  So far I have not been able to discover a broadcast time for King Lear on PBS.  The national website in

Boston

states that the production will begin broadcasting on March 25, which is next Wednesday; however, it also states that local stations can broadcast it whenever. . . .  If you are counting on this EGO, then please watch for its broadcast.

P  Next Friday (March 27) is the Renaissance Unit Test.  We will review on Thursday, but I will have an extra study session after school on Thursday for those who have questions and/or confusion.

P  Spring Break begins at 3:30 p.m. two weeks from today; if you have any missed assignments, you HAVE to make them up before you leave this school building on that day.

P  If you are going to be absent on Friday, April 3, make arrangements to stay after school on Thursday, April 2 to sort your note cards and make your preliminary outline for the research paper.

P  Next Thursday (March 26) note cards for your second novel are due.

P  Since the unit test is on Friday next week, we will not have vocabulary; however, please note that we will have vocabulary the week before spring break.

 

 

This past week in Brit Lit . . .

 

We finished Hamlet and spent some time identifying figurative language and sensory imagery in the play.  Next week’s test will include application of those skills so if you have missed this week and need some help, plan to stay after school either Monday or Tuesday. 

We also practiced paraphrasing one of Hamlet’s eight soliloquies—that skill will be tested as well. 

 

Next week in Brit Lit . . .

 

Monday:  Begin Shakespeare in Love. 

Tuesday:  Finish Shakespeare in Love.

Wednesday:  Writing Wednesday.  Another persuasive prompt.

Thursday:  Review for the test.

Friday:  Test.

 

Looks pretty simple, doesn’t it?  But we will also have some other stuff wedged in there—two poems, for instance, and a little extra writing.

 

Have a great weekend.

 

 

March Madness in Brit Lit

Weekend Assignments:

 

P  Everyone needs to read Act 4 of Hamlet

P  1^st block and 3^rd block need to bring a typed copy of their rough draft for the book review essay to class on Monday for revision workshop

P  Keep reading and making note cards for your author study novels

 

 

Calendar Reminders:

 

This week we adjusted the calendar a bit to give everyone a little more time to get that third novel read.  To recap: 

Y   Only the note cards for the second novel are due in two weeks and they are now due on Thursday, March 26—not Wednesday, March 25. 

Y   We will still complete our secondary research the week before spring break, but you will only need to have completed two of the three novels. 

Y   The note cards for the third novel are due the Monday after spring break—that’s April 13.

 

Spring Break Week:

 

For those of you who will miss class on Friday, April 3, need to plan on meeting with me after school on Thursday, April 2 so we can sort your note cards and be ready to begin the expanded outline on April 13. 

 

Extra-Grade Opportunities:

 

You can complete two during the semester

 

1. 

Canterbury

Tales at The New Shakespeare Tavern

2.  Hamlet at The New Shakespeare Tavern

3.  A Man for All Seasons at Theater in the Square (weeknights, students can get

     in for $11)

4.  The Tempest at The New Shakespeare Tavern

5.  King Lear  broadcast on PBS the last week of March—I do not have a date;

     you should look for it sometime around March 25.  I really want you to see

     this production so I will allow this as a 3^rd EGO.

 

Coming up in Room 305:

 

We should be finished with Hamlet on Tuesday.  Writing Wednesday will be a prompt from Hamlet.  Thursday and Friday we will look at metaphysical and carpe diem poetry from the Renaissance.  Vocabulary unit 7 for next week!

 

The Renaissance Unit Test is Friday, March 27—that’s two weeks from today!

 

 

 

 

 

Just a check-in

Just a quick update/reminder:

 

·        You need to have a copy of Hamlet with you when you come to class on Monday.

 

·        2^nd and 4^th block only:  The final, typed copy of your Book Review essay is due on Wednesday.  Late papers will be penalized this time so do not “leave it in your notebook at home.”

 

• You need to be reading the remaining two novels for your author study.  You only have about four weeks before all your primary source notecards are due.

 

Canterbury

Tales at The Shakespeare Tavern

 

Well, I went to see the production last night and it was hilarious and bawdy (lots of innuendo and tussling under blankets with moans and groans).  But then you know that Chaucer was bawdy as well.  We read three of the five tales presented:  “The Miller’s Tale,” “The Wife of

Bath

’s Tale,” and “The Pardoner’s Tale.”  Although the entire play is in rhyme, it is not in Chaucer or Shakespearian English so it is easy to understand.  The play runs 2 ½ hours with a fifteen minute intermission.  

 

Next Week in Brit Lit. . .

 

We will have vocabulary.

 

We will have Writing Wednesday.

 

Time for the Snow Dance

Well, I'm sitting at the kitchen table grading third block's expository essays and watching the snow, drinking coffee, and generally loving what a pretty view I have.  I do not think we will have a snow day tomorrow--the roads look pretty clear to me.  But if temperatures drop significantly and icy conditions prevail, who knows?

What that means to all of you:  should we not have school tomorrow, then the test will be postponed until Wednesday so that we can still have our day of review.  I mean, I bought blow-pops for the winning teams and I can't waste those!

I hope you are all enjoying this snowy afternoon--find a good book to read and snuggle under a throw next to a window.  It doesn't get any better than that.

Important Stuff!!! Read on . . .

Tuesday is the Medieval Unit Test.  Tuesday is also early dismissal day.  Good news for you!  The test will be shorter than it would normally be.

Here is what you need to begin studying:

Class notes on the following topics:

• Feudalism
• Norman Conquest and its subsequent impact in

  Britain

• Chivalry, courtly love
• Estates (as in social classes)
• Medieval poetic characteristics versus Anglo Saxon
• Hero’s Journey (SGGK & Iron Man)
• How to characterize Chaucer’s pilgrims

• Canterbury

  Tales (especially The General Prologue)
• SGGK
• ballads

Revisit the following pilgrims:  (analyze them in terms of religion, character, professional and expertise)

• Knight
• Squire
• Nun Prioress
• Monk
• Friar

• Oxford

  Clerk
• Parson
• Pardoner
• Wife of

  Bath

• Doctor

The test format will be as before—you pick and choose.   You will be required to answer a certain number of points on Chaucer’s works, on SGGK, and on ballads.  The history and social background will intermingle with those literary sections.

   Look!!!

You can complete the ballads part of your test in the comfort of your own home!  Read on . . .

Find and print the lyrics to a school-appropriate, contemporary song (must be from 1960 to present).  Identify and clearly mark at least 4 of the ballad characteristics we studied in class.

OR

Create your own ballad and set it to an established musical melody (use the music to a song already written) or compose your own music.  You must use all seven of the ballad characteristics for this choice.  When you print your lyrics, identify and clearly mark the characteristics, please.  Your ballad must be at least 5 stanzas plus the refrain (chorus).  [Bonus:  Record your ballad and bring it in]

 

Get ready to swoon to Shakespeare’s sonnets and to thrill to Hamlet’s soliloquies.  Remember, you need a copy of Hamlet in class on Monday, March 9—that is only a week away!

Follow-up After Open House

Thanks to all parents who braved the bad weather to attend Open House tonight.  I enjoyed meeting all of you.

I have just finished finalizing grades for this grading period so that they can be "captured" for progress reports tomorrow.  I noticed that many students are missing grades.  This has been a rough two months for illness so there are not many who have not been affected one way or another.  However, the missing assignments need to be completed before the information being assessed is only a faint memory.  I will be announcing to the the classes tomorrow that make-up work must be completed next week.  Students can come Tuesday morning or afternoon and Wednesday morning and afternoon.  Since some students have multiple assignments to make up, they may need more than one session.  After next week, I will enter zero for all missing grades.  If anyone needs to arrange an alternative make-up date, please see me ASAP.

Just a friendly reminder:  Your first novel for the author study AND the accompanying 10 note cards need to be finished by next Wednesday.

Extra Grade Opportunities

Several students managed to attend Dr. Faustus  at The Shakespeare Tavern; there were definitely mixed reviews; however, I enjoyed reading all the essays and I think that attending plays is a valuable experience.  Since many have asked whether or not there are other opportunities to earn an extra grade, I decided to look at the upcoming productions at both The Shakespeare Tavern and Theatre in the Square (one of Pope’s Partners in Education).  Listed below are the remaining plays that you may attend and then write a personal review for an extra grade.  Students are limited to two EGOs, so if you already went to Dr. Faustus, then you can only participate in one other.

I realize that many students are unable to go to either of these venues for one reason or another.  Please be patient; I will find an alternative EGO that will not require such an effort to visit nor such a monetary outlay.  I think it is fortuitous (vocabulary word!) that so many plays have a direct connection to Brit Lit this semester: 

P  We will be starting Canterbury Tales this week.

P  We will be finishing the Renaissance when A Man for All Seasons runs—it concerns Henry VIII and his “great matter.”

P  And, of course, we will begin reading Hamlet on March 9.

The New American Shakespeare Tavern

Romeo and Juliet

(If you saw this with the ninth grade lit classes, please do not go again.)
Directed by Laura Cole
$12 General Admission Previews January 29 & 30
January 31-March 1

We invite you to join us for our 10th anniversary of performing this play about young lovers, feuding families and one Friar with good intentions.

 Join the cast and crew members for a Question and Answer session on Sunday February 8 after the show!

Geoffrey Chaucer’s

The

Canterbury

Tales

Directed by John Stephens
$12 General Admission Previews March 5 & 6
March 7-29

Join us for a medieval romp through boisterous and bawdy olde

England

. Drawing on the Celtic British influences of Geoffrey Chaucer's writing, this hilarious adaptation reintroduces the tales in forms ranging from medical soap opera to spaghetti Western!

Join the cast and crew members for a Question and Answer session on Sunday March 15 after the show!

Hamlet

Directed by Drew Reeves
$12 General Admission Preview April 2
April 3-May 3

The secret midnight utterings of a Kingly ghost set events in motion that seal the tragic fate of

Denmark

’s royal family. Often considered the greatest tragedy of all time, Shakespeare’s legendary characters will grace the Tavern stage delivering some of the most famous and emotionally engaging poetry of all time.

Join the cast and crew members for a Question and Answer session on Sunday April 12 after the show!

 Theatre in the Square:

A Man for All Seasons
MainStage - March 8, 2009 - April 12, 2009
Playwright: Robert Bolt
Director: Robert J. Farley

About the performance
A captivating and gripping recounting of Sir Thomas More’s moral struggle to obey his conscience in defiance of

England

’s young King Henry VIII. In this play, which became a critically acclaimed work in both stage and movie versions, politics and intrigue interlock powerfully in church and Tudor court circles.

Loads of Uploads

In class today, I handed out the calendar for the rest of the semester.  Here is the document for easy access at home.  Please remember, that it is a best guess effort.  Dates may have to move as deadlines approach. 

Download Spring 2009 Calendar

And, here is the tip sheet for how to write a book review.  By reading this handout, you should be able to determine what kind of notes to take as you read your novels.  Remember, the first novel needs to be completed by February 25 (complete with at least 10 notecards).

Download How to Write a book Review

Finally, here is the rubric I will use when I grade your first book review.  I will give you a hard copy next Wednesday to keep in your writing folder.

Download Copy of Rubric for Book Review

Just a reminder that Medieval Times field trip forms and checks need to come in by next Monday.  If you know you plan to go and cannot get the forms and money in by Monday, come talk to me.