Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Ivan's Invocation of the Muse
Sing to me of the boy, Muse, the boy of many miles
whose destiny in the instrument with many strings was battered, once he had left
the Asiatic capitol of Hong Kong.
Many times, he has encountered pedantics and acquired their skill,
yet the delicacy of the keyboard, strung with passion and love
was underestimated by him whose goal was to only satisfy his parents.
Even the greatest of instructors could not vitalize the passion it takes to play the piano, hard as he strove--
the boy's selfishness and myopicness obliterated hope from his forefathers.
Competition after competition, the boy played from the hands, but not the heart,
until that faithful day where his teacher had finally become weary.
Launch out on his story in every language, Muse, daughter of Zeus,
so that others may not suffer the same fate as the boy.
By now,
he had grown to become a pianist, not a great pianist, but in fact just a pianist.
His income depended on his failed skill.
Until that day where passion was magically injected somehow by a friend from the North, Canada.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Questions For John Hillcoat, Director of The Road
Questions For John Hillcoat, Director of The Road
Friday, November 20, 2009
Quarter 2 Extra Credit Opportunities
You may complete one of the following for extra credit in Quarter 2. I will make another option available at the end of the quarter. The assignment is due by Friday, December 4th.
The Road: Movie vs. Novel
The movie version of The Road will be released by the end of November. As an extra credit opportunity, you should attend the film with a parent/guardian. Then complete the following steps in order to earn up to 5 extra credit points. Trust me; these seemingly small assignments do make a difference in your overall grade for the quarter.
1. Go to the theater and watch the movie, The Road. You will need to attend this with a parent/guardian.
2. Save your ticket stub to submit with your paper.
3. Create a detailed double bubble comparing/contrasting the movie to the novel. Each bubble requires a specific example from the film and the novel.
4. Write a one-page, thoughtful observation about the most striking similarities and differences between film and movie. This must provide evidence that you considered both texts carefully. Do discuss at the end of your paper, which version of the story you preferred and why. Offer specific examples.
5. Ask the parent/guardian, with whom you viewed the film, to hand write his/her comments/reflections about the film on the back of the page and to sign the paper.
6. Submit this by Friday, December 4th.
Invocation of the Muse
Your Task: Imitate the first sixteen lines of The Odyssey, imagining that this is the opening to an epic about your life.
Procedure:
1. Begin with an invocation to the Muse: “Tell me, Muse…” or “Sing to me, Muse…” or similar.
2. Include epithets about yourself and the other characters of your epic.
3. Give a snapshot of your quest.
4. Include a bit of “formal-sounding” language. The idea is to play with Homer’s language in order to become more comfortable with it.
5. Describe the setting. Make the setting sound grand in scale.
Example:
Tell me, Muse, about the man of many miles,
Who many times dashed as he ran through the streets of Santa
Monica. He saw the Fatigue of his teammates and knew their pain.
On the course, he too suffered great pains within his lungs,
Yearning for the finish line, and his teammates’ success.
He could not guide his team to victory, though he wanted to:
His teammates had lost the race because of their laziness.
The slackers had disregarded the wise words
Of the well-traveled coach Cady, who knew the path to victory.
Tell the tale for us, beginning with the previous day,
Sometime after the piercing bell had sounded.
When all the others, seeking refuge from the torments of school
Had fled, light-footed to the safety of their homes.
Yet he alone, longing for the final mile and his own return,
Wan confined by sound-minded Coach Cady, who strives for excellence,
To the fenced-in, crimson rubber surface that was his training ground.
(Ethan Hutt, qtd. in Jago, Carol. Classics in the Classroom. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 2004.)
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Monday, October 19, 2009
Nelson's wordle story
In second hour, Nelson wrote the following story using the words from wordle. It is essentially the plot of The Road, which he wrote without reading the book!
"In a post-apocalyptic earth, a father and son were on a road to the sea. The two of them had to face a cannabalist civilization with only a pistol. With only each other's comfort to help them, survival seemed bleak, but as time went on, they faced the constant horrors and the landscape altered by fire and a cataclysmic event. With faith, the sun rising and setting, somewhere to the south, they kept going."
Um, you rock Nelson. Nice job!!
Maps While Reading
The Road Reading Schedule
The date indicates the due date for the reading selection. Be prepared for discussion or a quiz.
Oct 20: pgs 3-27
Oct 21: pgs 28-mid 52
Oct 22: pgs bot 52-mid 77
Oct 23: pgs bot 77-102
Oct 26: pgs 103-top 129
Oct 27: pgs mid 129-top 161
Oct 28: pgs 161-mid 180
Oct 29: pgs bot 180-204
Oct 30: pgs 205-top 231
Nov 2: pgs mid 231-256
Nov 3: pgs 257-287
“On this road there are no godspoke men. They are gone and I am left and they have taken with them the world. Query: how does the never to be differ from what never was?”
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Extra Credit: Siddhartha
For your second extra credit opportunity of the quarter, consider writing a paragraph on Siddhartha that answers one of the prompts below. The paragraph is worth five points, and although you may not think that five points is a lot, it really does help your grade.
Typed paragraphs are due by Friday, October 23. Remember that a paragraph should have at least two PIEs, and make sure your points, illustrations and explanations prove your topic sentence (which is basically your thesis). Remember that direct quotations are the best illustrations for your analytical points.
Paragraph Prompts
** Discuss the influence of Kamala on Siddhartha’s life.
** Discuss the influence of Vasudeva on Siddhartha’s life.
** Discuss a thematic aspect of discontent as it is found in Siddhartha.
** Discuss Hermann Hesses’s success in teaching concepts of Buddhism in the novel Siddhartha.
** Discuss Hermann Hesses’s success in teaching concepts of Hinduism in the novel Siddhartha.
** Discuss a thematic aspect of learning or education as it is found in Siddhartha.
Monday, October 12, 2009
Siddhartha Character Influences
- Select one of the following characters and create a bubble map to describe him/her. Be sure to include direct quotations with page numbers in the frame to support your adjectives. Characters: Govinda, Kamala, Gotama, Kamasawami, Siddhartha's Father
- Create a flow map tracking this character's influence on Siddhartha throughout the novel. Be sure to inlcude direct quotations with page numbers in the fram to support each element of influence.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Quote Analysis
Siddhartha Reading Schedule
Reading Schedule
The date indicates the due date for the reading selection. Be prepared for discussion or a quiz.
Oct 6: Chapters 1 & 2
Oct 7: Chapters 3 & 4
Oct 8: Chapters 5 & 6
Oct 9: Chapters 7 & 8
Oct 12: Chapters 9 & 10
Oct 13: Chapters 11 & 12
October 13: Vocabulary Test
October 14: Final Test
"Nothing was, nothing will be, everything has reality and presence."
Friday, September 25, 2009
The Overcoat Extra Credit Opportunity
1. The name Akaky comes from a Greek word meaning "no evil." How does the origin of Akaky's name relate to his character and to his experiences in "The Overcoat"?
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Ms. Roehl is really great at using a Multi-Flow Map to help with Thesis and Organization
Read the following draft of my thesis statement that tells a theme about the causes and effects of the topic "cultural conflict."
In The Namesake, Jhumpa Lahiri claims that people who face cultural conflict caused by a separation from their familiar lifestyle end up rebelling against their traditional culture, assimilating to the new culture, or living a somewhat isolated life from the culture of power in their new society.
Did you notice how the boxes on the multi-flow map came alive in the thesis?
You can also organize the essay right from the multi-flow map and thesis. Here are my potential body paragraphs:
1. Causes of cultural conflict on separation caused by fear and being homesick. That paragraph would have a PIE on fear and a PIE on being homesick.
2. Effect of cultural conflict being rebellion as illustrated by Gogol and Sonia.
3. Effect of cultural conflict being assimilation as illustrated by Ashoke's dress and naming of children.
4. Effect of cultural conflict being isolation as illustrated by Ashima's Bengali friends, food and clothing.As another model to help you write your essay.
Here's a draft of part of the body paragraph on isolation and Ashima with the PIE about food.
TOPIC SENTENCE - Ashima’s acute sense of cultural isolation is caused most profoundly by a sense that something is missing, even in the most familiar of things.
POINT First, as Ashima looks for comfort in the cooking from her home country of India, even the foods that she craves most are lacking in some satisfying, key ingredient.
ILLUSTRATION For example, in chapter one when Ashima, attempts to make the spicy Rice Krispies snack with peanuts and red onions that she used to buy in the streets of Calcutta, she is wishes “there were mustard oil to pour into the mix…[it] is a humble approximation of the snack sold for pennies on Calcutta sidewalks and on railway platforms throughout India.” As she tastes it from her palms, she thinks “as usual, there’s something missing” (1).
EXPLANATION Even the most familiar things that bring her comfort are only “humble” or inferior substitutes for what she misses in India. The “something missing” in the food is symbolic of the cultural isolation that Ashima feels in her life in America.
Friday, September 18, 2009
Immigrants Shunning Idea of Assimilation
Today in class we completed an anticipation guide to prime our brains before reading an excerpt from The Washington Post's "Immigrants Shunning Idea of Assimilation." (Notice how blog posts have hot links to articles in case you have forgotten yours at school.)
Here were the questions you marked agree or disagree and stated why:
___ 1. Schools have a responsibility to promote American culture.
___ 2. Immigrants are often unskilled and uneducated.
___ 3. Immigrants should be encouraged to assimilate into the American national identity.
___ 4. When learning about a new culture, it’s better to overlook differences and focus on similarities.
___ 5. It would be easy to move to a new country.
___ 6. People should follow the customs of the country they live in, regardless of where they’re from.
Your homework for the weekend, in addition to reading to p. 158 of The Namesake, is to comment on this blog post. Your comment needs to make a connection between the article "Immigrants Shunning Idea of Assimilation" and The Namesake. You should consider the assimilation of Ashima, Ashoke, Gogol, Sonia and other immigrants in the novel.
A thoughtful comment deserving of an "A" would include three sentences.
Sentence 1: Write the POINT being made about assimilation and the immigrant experience. This is a general, analytical statement about an idea that is found in both the article and the novel.
Sentence 2: This sentence is an ILLUSTRATION of the point being made in the previous sentence. Direct quotations from The Namesake would be the most credible illustration here. When using direct quotations, be sure to cite the page number where the quotation is found. MLA format looks like this (Lahiri 15) for a quotation that appears on page 15.
Sentence 3: This sentence contains further EXPLANATION of your main point and illustration. Think about why the main point matters today to you and to the world and further explain your ideas.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
4 Square Vocab
Monday, September 14, 2009
The Namesake Reading Schedule
The date indicates the due date for the reading selection. Be prepared for discussion or a quiz.
Sept. 11: pp. 1-21
Sept. 14: pp. 22-47
Sept. 15: pp. 48-71
Sept. 16: free day
Sept. 17: pp. 72-96
Sept. 18: pp. 97-124
Sept. 21: pp. 125-158
Sept. 22: pp. 159-187
Sept. 23: pp. 188-218
Sept. 24: pp. 219-245
Sept. 25: pp. 246-267
Sept. 28: pp. 268-273
Sept. 29: pp. 274-291
“The reader should realize himself that it could not have happened otherwise, and that to give him any other name was quite out of the question.”
--Nikolai Gogol,
“The Overcoat”
Friday, September 11, 2009
What's in a name?
Who is your namesake?
What's the story behind your parents naming you?
What does your name mean?
Do you have any great "name" anecdotes to share?
As we begin reading our first book together this year, Jhumpa Lahiri's The Namesake, we will share all of the trivia that we know about our names. The questions above should get you thinking about your name, and you should talk to your family about your naming process if you don't know the story. You could even research what your name means. These will be fun stories to share on Monday, September 14, so be prepared to do so when you get to class.
Over the weekend I want you to comment on this blog post with one or two fun facts about your name.
Also, don't forget to read pages 22-47 in The Namesake!
Have a great weekend--we deserve it!
Thursday, September 10, 2009
The Namesake
1. Read pages 1-21 in The Namesake. Be prepared to talk in class tomorrow!
2. Leave a comment on this post so I know that everything is working properly. Feel free to say something about how much you love reading. (Be sure to include your name and hour in your comment so I know it's you!)
If you're interested, check out the trailer for the film adaptation of The Namesake:
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
The Journey
The poem and directions for the response are pasted below:
The Journey
Mary Oliver
One day you finally knew
what you had to do, and began,
though the voices around you
kept shouting
their bad advice--
though the whole house
began to tremble
and you felt the old tug
at your ankles.
"Mend my life!"
each voice cried.
But you didn't stop.
You knew what you had to do,
though the wind pried
with its stiff fingers
at the very foundations,
though their melancholy
was terrible.
It was already late
enough, and a wild night,
and the road full of fallen branches and stones.
But little by little,
as you left their voices behind,
the stars began to burn
through the sheets of clouds,
and there was a new voice
which you slowly
recognized as your own,
that kept you company
as you strode deeper and deeper
into the world,
determined to do
the only thing you could do
determined to save
the only life you could save.
In response to Mary Oliver’s poem, “The Journey,” please write a well-organized, thoughtful paragraph considering the following questions:
** What is the main idea or theme of the poem?
** How does the author’s language enhance the poem’s meaning?
Paragraphs should consist of at least 5-7 complex sentences. Typed, double spaced, 12 pt. font.
Due THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10.
Friday, September 4, 2009
Bubble Map Paragraph Example
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Cyber Bullying
Course Syllabus
Ms. Rachel Hatten
Course Syllabus
Room 280
952.848.3843
ractholen@edina.k12.mn.us
“Literacy is a bridge from misery to hope. It is a tool for daily life in modern society. It is a bulwark against poverty, and a building block of development, an essential complement to investments in roads, dams, clinics and factories. Literacy is a platform for democratization, and a vehicle for the promotion of cultural and national identity…For everyone, everywhere, literacy is, along with education in general, a basic human right…Literacy is, finally, the road to human progress and the means through which every man, woman and child can realize his or her full potential.” --Kofi Annan
“Books are the deepest way to communicate about what it is to be a human.” Peter Weer
Course Description
English 10 refines the language arts skills of reading, literary analysis, writing, vocabulary development, research, critical thinking, speaking, listening, visual literacy, and digital literacy. Units include studies of the journey as a universal human ritual, ethical dilemmas and the conflict between responsibility to society and to the individual, causes and effects of different cultures colliding, and persecution and other outside influences that affect us on a local and global level. Some selections align with the World History sophomore course so that students can make interdisciplinary connections. Selections include both Western and non-Western texts that reflect diversity in race, gender, age, economics and geography. In addition, students will contribute to a class blog to create an online learning community that not only extends classroom literary analysis discussions, but also provides an authentic audience to outside reading and writing assignments.
Regular instruction in vocabulary will use both explicit lessons and vocabulary specific to the literature being studied in class.
Intensive writing instruction will help students develop thinking skills and a personal voice. Students will write one formal, typed assessment each quarter for a total of four formal assessments per year. Essay assignments throughout the year will include multiple modes such as narrative, persuasion, and critical analysis. Grammar and usage review will include explicit lessons, but focus on using correct conventions in writing. Writing instruction and assessment will use the Six Traits of writing, rubrics and exemplars. Students will write a major research paper during third quarter.
Students will also develop and practice effective speaking skills in individual presentations and group discussions.
Major texts in each unit of study:
Identity and the Journey as a Universal Ritual
The Namesake
Siddhartha
The Road
The Odyssey
O, Brother Where Art Thou?
Ethical Dilemmas: Individual vs. Society
All My Sons
Macbeth
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Cultures Collide
Nectar in a Sieve
Things Fall Apart
The Mission
Bride and Prejudice
Persecution
Night
In the Time of the Butterflies
Slaughterhouse 5
The Weight of All Things
Persepolis
Tying it all Together: Coming Home
Animal Dreams
Ongoing areas of study:
Visual literacy, including photography, film, and other print and digital images
Poetry
Vocabulary
Grammar, usage, and mechanics
Digital Literacies
MCA Poetry and Reading Prep
Some notes about literature selection in Edina Public Schools:
1. Literature that is studied and read as part of a course has been sited for excellence by an independent source (for example it has won literary awards, received positive reviews by independent book reviewers and/or recommendations from professional organizations, etc.) and/or the author has been sited
for excellence by an independent source.
2. Students should read and analyze a variety of literature in print, auditory and visual texts including:
Fiction, poetry, drama and nonfiction;
A variety of diversity topics/themes including: race, gender, age, economics, and geography;
Contemporary and classic selections. Approximately one classic and 2-3 contemporary selections in each course read by all students.
3. In grades 9-12 literature is adult, full-length novels/non-fiction as well as short stories, poetry and drama.
Expectations:
In this course, I hope that you will:
** Read widely and analytically.
** Develop, explore, and clearly articulate original ideas.
** Write well for a variety of purposes.
**Use critical thinking skills to accomplish a wide range of tasks related to literature, writing, and media.
My work as a teacher is based on the following beliefs:
** I have a responsibility to create and nurture a safe working environment for all of my students—both collectively and on an individual level
** I believe in the power of texts to affect our understanding of the world and the human condition in a profound way
** I have a responsibility to prepare you for real world working and thinking on a critical, analytical level in a media infused 21st century
** I believe that you can be better than you are today. I believe that you can write more fluently, read more deeply, question more critically, and empathize more compassionately. I believe in the work we’re doing here.
My expectations for you are:
** Work: Show up for class—physically and mentally. Your fellow students and I need you here. Your primary purpose here is to participate in your learning and to produce work that contributes to the good of our class community. As Michael Hartoonian, scholar of education and public policy, says, “Work that we do to improve our personal circumstances always affects others. If we do good work, that good radiates to others. Of course, poor or bad work also radiates to others, causing a general decline in the wealth of the community.” Knowledge, which you gain through work, is key to successful citizenship in a multicultural world. To this end, expect homework each night and prepare to speak in class each day.
** Respect: At all times, be respectful of scholarship, of yourself, of each other, and of me. We are in this together.
** Belong: Foster community by taking care of each other, being ready for anything, and appreciating the differences that each person brings to class.
Grading:
Grades are figured according to the following scale based on cumulative point totals:
100-93% A 79-77 C+ 69-67 D+
92-90 A- 76-73 C 66-63 D
89-87 B+ 72-70 C- 62-60 D-
86-83 B 59-0 F
82-80 B-
Please pay attention to penalties for scholastic and academic dishonesty outlined on page 18 of the handbook.
Policies:
Major papers: Major papers will be due within a 3-5 day window, rather than be due on one, set date. While the size of the timeframe will remain at my discretion, I will alert you to the dates of the timeframe within which you can hand in your paper. This should give you ample time to complete the paper on time, and resolve any technical or personal issues that may arise. As long as your paper is handed in within the window, it is considered on time and will be graded without penalty. Papers are graded in the order that they were handed in. If you hand in your paper one day after the timeframe has closed, 25 points will be taken off of your final score (C is the highest possible grade). If you hand in the paper any time after that, 50 points will be taken off of your final score. All major papers will be worth 100 points. If you are absent on the closing due date, the paper needs to be emailed to me that day by 8:30 a.m. as an attachment if it is to be graded without penalty. Additionally, you must plan to hand in a hard copy of your paper upon your return to school.
Daily work: Research indicates that assigning homework, providing timely feedback, and obtaining assessment of student learning are important in enhancing the teaching-learning process. The purpose of homework is to either prepare you for the following day’s lesson, or to enhance and practice the skills learned in the previous lesson. This purpose is lost if the homework is not completed on time. For this reason, late homework will not be accepted.
Tests: If you are absent the day of a major test, you will need to attend the make-up test session that I schedule. There will only be one opportunity to make-up a missing major test. Make-up tests are comprised of short answer questions, while the regular test will have a variety of question types, including multiple choice. Retesting is not allowed. Be prepared for tests the first time.
Reading Check Quizzes: Occasionally, you may need to complete a quiz on the previous night’s reading assignment. Quizzes may be unannounced. If you are absent and miss a reading check quiz, you will need to complete questions on the reading that are posted to our class blog in order to be excused from those missing points.
The Notebook: All students will be expected to maintain a classroom composition notebook that includes comprehensive classroom notes as well as a detailed table of contents. The individual pages of the notebook will be checked at random during class every two weeks. After an absence, it is your responsibility to check with a trusted classmate and to copy down the notes that you missed within two days of returning to school.
Integrity: Consider that your character and good name cannot be easily reclaimed once you make the decision to cheat. If you do decide to cheat or plagiarize in any portion of the academic work for the course, you will earn a zero for the assignment and may be referred to administration for disciplinary action, as spelled out in the student handbook. Do not compromise your integrity by cheating.
The Mouse Problem and the New Carpet: There are mice in the building. There will be mice in this classroom if we bring food or sugary drinks into it. That is terrible. Conversely, we have brand new carpet, which is awesome. I don’t want mice, and I don’t want to ruin my new carpet. To that end, water ONLY (no additives) is allowed in this room. Please use reusable water bottles as there is no recycling in this room and we’d like to be as green as possible.
Requested Supplies:
All students need a single subject notebook to be used exclusively for English 10. I happily accept donations of tissue, hand sanitizer, disinfecting wipes, loose leaf paper, glue sticks, scissors, markers, pens, and pencils which we can all use.
Keeping in Touch:
If you have any questions or feel as though you need additional help throughout the semester, please ask! I am available most days before and after school in my classroom. Please call or email with any questions or concerns. I’m looking forward to sharing a productive and enjoyable year together!
Ms. Rachel Tholen Hatten
Room 280
952-848-3843
ractholen@edina.k12.mn.us