Assessing Your Goals

Dear Freshies,

Last Quarter I made you post about some of the goals you wanted to set for yourself. We've been in the classroom for half a year now. I want you to access the goals you set for yourself. Have you achieved them? If they were more long term - have you made the appropriate steps to reach those goals?

After you access your goals, I want you to do the following:

Think about and list 2-3 subjects / interests you would like to major at college

Think about and list 2-3 colleges you are interested in attending

Due 1/19/2019 @ 11:59 PM

Best,
M.W.S.

HW Extension +1

Dear Freshies,Since I didn't get the HW published on BlackBaud before today, I'm providing an extension of one day for each HW. Click here if you need another copy of Book VClick here if you need another copy of the Symbolism Graphic OrganizerBest,M.W.S.

Work for the Rest of Break

Dear Freshies,

I apologize relaying this message so late in the week; to recognize this, I will be giving a due date for the Tuesday we return.

Your Task:

During our last day of class, we took notes on Summary Annotations, which include answering the following questions:

What is happening? Who is involved? Why is it important? How does it connect to other elements of the work?

Note an annotation for my class can be brief enough to fit on a sticky note. So no need to spend more than 2-3 minutes on an annotation. 

In order to build up our comprehension skills, I am assigning one summary annotation per page for Book I, and one final end of chapter summary annotation in which you answer all the questions for the entire reading. It is just for Book I. That is a total of 15 Page Summary Annotations, and 1 End of Chapter annotations, 16 Sticky notes to

You can either leave physical, sticky note or written annotations 

Or 

You can leave digital comments on Book I of the Odyssey

(To do this, Copy your own Doc of Book I, and insert comments where you would leave sticky notes). In order for me to check this, you'll have to reshare this document with me.

Last note - sometimes your annotations may not answer or attend to all the questions, sometimes they may just tend to one or two of them. Think of the questions more as guidelines. This may seem rudimentary to some, but just keep in mind this serves two purposes: 1) To provide a strategy in comprehending what exactly is going on. 2) To build up a foundation for our next annotation - Application & Analysis. 

Please email with any questions.

Hope everyone had a great Turkey Day,

M.W.S.

Aristotle's Criticism of The Odyssey

Dear Freshies,

Read this blog post after you finish your reading of Book One.

Today in class we responded to a quote of Aristotle's criticism of The Odyssey, but that was only an excerpt. Here is the full quotation from his philosophical text on poetry, drama, and literature known as On Poetics:

“...The story of the Odyssey can be stated briefly. A certain man is absent from home for many years; he is jealously watched by Poseidon, and left desolate. Meanwhile his home is in a wretched plight—suitors are wasting his substance and plotting against his son. At length, tempest-tost, he himself arrives; he makes certain persons acquainted with him; he attacks the suitors with his own hand, and is himself preserved while he destroys them. This is the essence of the plot; the rest is episode.” 

I want you to read this quotation. Then I want you to post a blog post responding to the following questions:

1) What claims about The Odyssey does Aristotle make? 

2) Consider the events of Book One. How did you react to Odysseus’s situation, Telemachus’s situation, and Penelope’s situation? Why might you want to see them resolved in the “episodes” that Aristotle references?

3) Consider the information provided in the invocation (the beginning lines of the epic) and the quote from Aristotle. In each text, the story of The Odyssey is captured in brief. In fact, we know how the story ends. So why do we read it? Similarly, why do we listen to stories retold by friends and family even though we know how they end? What does the experience of hearing or reading a story in full do for us? 

This is due Nov 20 by 11:59 PM

Best,

M.W.S.

More Research!!!!

Dear Freshies,

Today we will continue our research. Tomorrow we will start our new Unit on Ancient Greek Literature.

Today I want you to do the following:

1) Choose the topic you are most passionate for

2) List foundational work/texts you plan on using for your project (these texts should be "old" as in foundational to the civilization / culture you are studying)

3)  Research and list modern texts from the same culture / civilization

4) Using the question activity we did in class, generate a list of questions you will use for your research and reading.

Best,
M.W.S.

Research Project

Dear Freshies,

As you might recall part of your total grade consists of Growth and Development (10%) & Independent Research (20%). Obviously I haven't had enough time to implement this during the quarter, so we will get started today. These will be graded holistically (meaning you'll get credit for completing this / you'll get a zero for not completing this.) Due by Sunday 4 PM. Make two separate blog posts using the titles below.


Development (we started yesterday)

Click here for the blog post if you still haven't finished.


Research Project: Reinventing the Cannon

This year we will be discussing a lot about the "cannon,' that is the books are often determined as "classic" or "required reading." For our year long research project, I want you to find an area of the world (preferably one in which we will not be covering) and construct research regarding the type and forms of literature that are found in this civilization/culture. For example, one civilization we will not be studying are the Irish / Celtic people. Also some of us might want to look at our own heritage.

For this blog post I want you to think of 2-3 civilizations / cultures whose literature you would want to research (e.g. Polish, Vietnamese, Irish, French, Sudanese, etc.)

After you have your 2-3, I want you to pick the one you are most interested in, and explain to me why.

Task for Today = Studying for Quiz / Development

Dear Freshies,

Here are some great online quizzes covering the parts of speech. Click below.

https://www.englishclub.com/grammar/parts-of-speech-quiz.htm

https://arts.uottawa.ca/writingcentre/en/hypergrammar/the-parts-of-speech/review-parts-of-speech

http://www.english-language-grammar-guide.com/grammar-quiz.html

After you feel like you have reviewed enough, I want you to construct a blog post responding to:

1) At least 3 strengths you have (try to make at least one of them an academic strength).

2) At least 3 major or long terms goals you have (e.g. to become a lawyer).

3) At least 3 areas or skills you want to improve on (try to make one of them an academic skill e.g. "handing in work on time.")

Then under the same post, respond to: How do you plan on achieving these goals, and working on these skills? What's in your way from achieving these goals? How can you be cleared of this obstacle?

This will stand for your development / growth grade this quarter (so it's an easy grade!)

Best,
M.W.S.

The 8-Parts of Speech

 Attention Freshies!

Click here for the handout we used in class today.

Also, here is a decent Quizlet if you want to test yourself in preparation for Friday's quest

Reminder for Friday's test
Part 1 - Vocabulary
Part 2 - Metaphor vs. Similes
Part 3 - Sentence Parsing (E.g. what we did in class today & multiple choice)

Best,
M.W.S.

What I need you to do this week:

Attention freshies,

We will be ending our unit on Mesopotamian Literature and The Epic of Gilgamesh this week. I'm overall proud of our progress and study of this text. Some improvements I will be making for this next unit is
1) Communicating and posting more frequently
2) Making Blogger and my classroom more accessible (e.g. using Blackbaud, streamlining issues, etc.)
3) Making stronger connections to the history of the text and our unit

That being said, I need you to be aware and do a few things for this upcoming week.
1st - Please take note of the "This Week's Plan" on the top right corner.

Wednesday we will be finishing up Gilgamesh, I know I said we would have been done last week, but like I've said from the beginning, we live in an imperfect world.

Tuesday we will be doing what I call "Video Vocabulary" to help you prepare for the vocabulary section of the Gilgamesh quiz on Thursday.

2nd - For Tuesday, please come in with your cellular devices, fully charged, and with adequate storage (or "space") to record a 30-sec video.

Lastly - If you are having issues with blogger or the class you need to see me during my office hours, which are:

Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays 7-8 AM

Homework Room in the Library Every Tuesday 2:44 - 4PM

Everyday Periods 1, 3, 7

Please Email me to confirm your appointment.

I will provide more information tomorrow,

Best,
M.W.S.

Death Stalks Gilgamesh

“Death is stalking me…”

Now that Gilgamesh is aware of his own mortality, he will begin a quest for immortality.  
He will seek out the only other person to be granted immortality by the gods.
In class, I asked you to read tablets 9, 10, 11 & 12.  I asked you to pay particular attention Tablet 11.

For homework I want to construct a blog post responding to the following points:

• In relation to our brief discussion of “catharsis”, how does this relate to Gilgamesh’s realization of his own mortality?
• What prompts Gilgamesh to confront his own mortality?

This post will be graded according to the following guidelines:

Check Plus (100) - Post fully addresses the prompt(s), is posted on time, and doesn't feel rushed.

Check (85) - Post somewhat addresses the prompt(s), is posted on time or shortly after the due date, but may feel rushed or shorthanded.

Check Minus (65) - Post barely addresses the prompt(s), feels off topic and rushed, isn't posted on time.

Due by 10/11 by 11:59 PM

Best,
M.W.S.

Who do we blame for Enkidu's Death

Dear Freshmen,

We are wrapping up our unit on Mesopotamian Literature. But we have a complicated week coming up. We only meet on Tuesday and Thursday. So to prepare for our Class debate on Tuesday, I want you to do the following:

Read up to "Tablet Nine: Gilgamesh Journeys through the Mountains."

Really focus and annotate Tablets Six, Seven, and Eight, as these are the final chapters of Enkidu.

(Click Here if you have "lost" your copy of The Epic of Gilgamesh)

Who do you blame for Enkidu's death? Provide a counterclaim for your example (e.g. If you blame Gilgamesh, provide an example of why it's Gilgamesh's fault, as well as a reason why it is NOT Enkidu's fault.)

How does the saga of Enkidu (e.g. his final moments, his relationship with Gilgamesh) answer our essential question: Are heroes always heroic?

Use evidence from the text for your response.

Due: Before class on Tuesday 10/09.

Enjoy the rest of your break,

M.W.S.