Grade 9 Bonaventure

Today we spent time going over Visual Elements for Constructed Visual 'Texts'.

We focused our discussion on connotations, stereotypes and bias.  We discussed p. 297 in Sightlines 9.

For tomorrow - 1. bring in Resource Lines, 2. bring in a still image ad (something from a magazine, etc.) and 3. complete the question on stereotypes on p. 297 (find a sitcom, comic and examine what stereotypes they use and how).

NOTE - test on R and J will be THURSDAY, not Wednesday

Wednesday In-Class assessment:

Two questions: 1. you will have to prove how Romeo and Juliet is a Tragedy and 2. a personal response question in which you will have to write an opinion piece about Fate vs Free Will/Character

Read on with Act II.

Questions:

ACT TWO - SCENE FOUR

This scene serves as a contrast to the preceding scene in Friar Laurence's cell. Mercutio and Benvolio are in a merry mood as they walk along talking and laughing about Romeo whom they think is still pining away over Rosaline. Benvolio mentions that Tybalt has sent a challenge to Romeo. Mercutio then gives a long description of Tybalt's eagerness to fight. Romeo comes along in a good mood after his talk with Friar Laurence. They engage in a series of puns matching their wits against each other. Along comes Juliet's nurse and Peter (her servant).

How does the scene relate to Love vs. Hate?

What warning does the nurse give Romeo?

ACT TWO - SCENE FIVE

Juliet is waiting very impatiently for the nurse's return. Why does she become so irritated when the nurse does return?

ACT TWO - SCENE SIX

Romeo and Juliet are married in Friar Laurence's cell. How does this scene foreshadow future events?

General - Find one example in Act Two of each of the following literary devices:

personification, hyperbole, pun, metaphor, simile, dramatic irony, allusion

Newspaper - Verona Times
1. Advertisements from Time Period approximately 1500 C.E. in Italy
2. Cover Story dealing with some local issue following the Inverted Pyramid Structure
3. Editorial Covering an opinion on events from the play e.g. the family feud, rise in violence, etc...
4. Obituary of Romeo and Juliet, Mercutio, Tybalt, and Lady Montague
5. Neatness and Grammar/Conventions of Language


Marks break down:
1. Advertisements /5
2. Cover Story   /10
3. Editorial     /20
4. Obituary      /10
5. Neatness and Grammar/Conventions of Language  /5


Total = /50

Due Date: May 4th, 2012

Outline for today:  1. Review key points from film; 2. Take up - Act I - tragic heroes and fate introduced; 3. Easter Assignment; 4. Act II - viewing, reading

Get Notes if Absent!!!!

Review Act I - how does Shakespeare establish the following:

1. Romeo and Juliet as tragic heroes

2. Fate as a theme

1. what is the significance of the queen mab speech -  what is the importance of dreams right before Romeo goes into the party?

2. paraphrase lines 95-109, act I, sc v in your own words.

Two things:

1. write an 8 line (max) poem using oxymorons and images - what is love?

2. on the same page, write an email to your friend in which you advise her/him on 'how to get over' someone.

Act I, sc. i - why start the play with minor characters in a feud who are talking about sex and violence and power?  What does this brawl reveal about the values of Verona?  Is this "natural order" or disorder-as-order?  How does this help to establish Romeo and Juliet's characters even though they are not even on stage yet?

Today we covered Shakesperean Tragedy and Rennaissance Cosmology - we tried to tie together the ideas of Fate/Destiny with Free Choice and the Tragic Hero/Tragic Structure.

We read and discussed the prologue.  You received notes on Act I.

Read Act I, sc.i - why does Shakespeare begin the play this way?

Complete the following for homework:

I. Research - who was Shakespeare (biographical info)?  What distinguishes the theatre of his time?  (think groundlings, costume, special effects, audience, etc.); What was it like to live in Elizabethan England?  (lifestyle, health problems, life expectancy, religion, political order, gender roles, etc.)

II. Read the Prologue of Romeo and Juliet - try paraphrasing the lines into your own words. 

III. Group Improv activity using the lines given out in class (3 groups of 4 - students present

Today was the in-class quiz.

Homework over the weekend - turn your personal essay outlines into a good copy.  Due next class.

Once we are done with the essays, we will start with R and J, so bring the play from next class onwards....

You received two handouts today - one on personal writing that reviewed key distinctions between memoir, personal narrative essay and personal essay and one that was two sample personal essays.  We reviewed and discussed both, focusing especially on effective writing elements.

You will have an in-class quiz tomorrow on this topic - it will quiz you on the definitions and ask you to cite effective writing elements.

You will then have to use the models to turn your outline (last class's homework) into a complete personal essay.    Romeo and Juliet will begin after that.

Today we discussed gender in Fighting Days, the Brute and in your own cultural experiences.

You will now work on a personal reflective essay outline - the theme is empowerment.  You will reflect on power/empowerment in any way relevant to you - it might be in terms of gender experiences but it does not have to be.  You will use the outline handed out in class and complete an outline for next class.

Tomorrow will be a homework check on the following (which needs to be done in preparation for a personal essay):

1. brainstorm the role of women in "fighting days"

2. brainstorm the role of women in "the brute"

3. brainstorm the role of women today, in your experiences and/or observations

We spent last class working with the other grade 9 section creating short skits that focused on "status", conflict and characterization.  The emphasis was on 'power,' social class and gender, as status indicators that we recognize in society.  This is all a set up for Romeo and Juliet.

Today we began "The Brute," which is our last short drama before Shakespeare.

Homework tonight:

-research Russian in late 1800s (type of society)

-research 'serfs'

Tomorrow we will discuss the above and apply them to what we read today.

Today our discussion centred around: melodrama, characterization (indirect vs direct) and stereotypes

We've finished with our speeches and have now moved on to Drama.  We began with two short 'games' to introduce: a. how characters are grounded in their actions and b. how there is no 'wrong' character, but more complete characterizations.

Homework - finish reading the play on p. 210 of Sightlines.  Write out a character sketch of McNair and Francis.  Make reference to their dialogue to 'prove' each character's character.

Rough Drafts of speeches due in class on Thursday.  We've been doing process work for the last few weeks - please be prepared as we move into presentations by the end of the week!!!!

Next day you will have to write a demand narrative essay thesis statement, with rough outline.

Homework: read from ResourceLines: p. 91 (emphasis), p. 93-97, p. 159-167

Speech topics handed out - select topic, begin research, outlining and drafting process.  In-class work over next week and a half.

Circle or underline 5 effective writing strategies from the speech on page 327 that you could use in  your speech.  I willl do a homework check next class.

Today groups presented their commercial satires and discussions.  Overall, well done.

No homework tonight.

We will be reading from Sightlines 10 next day; please ensure you have the book in class.

Today we reviewed Satire.  We applied our three traits to Updike's "Commercial" and talked about how we would move from satire to using satire in our speeches.  We came up with three ideas:

1. tone: employing tonal variation to suggest different attitudes and provide emphasis

2. insert asides, parenthetical comments, use wit and pauses

3. reveal true attitude about the topic near end of the speech - reveal your purpose in ridiculing whatever you're satirizing

Homework - p. 155, #3 - in groups.   Band group: Isobel, Anna P, Hannah  (group)  and Amy and Caroline (group)

- you have to pick an ad that can be viewed on youtube and then do a write up on how you would satirize it

Yesterday we completed our review of the exam.  We then began a brainstorm of speech subjects and how to turn them into more focused, critical topics.

Today we began a review of forms of writing, beginning with Satire.

We talked about examples of satire and came up with 3 traits of this type of writing:

1. it makes fun of something/someone

2. tone - (speaker's attitude) pretends to be extremely serious, but is not (uses irony - it means the opposite of what it's saying)

3. its purpose - is to point out the failings of (society, a person, institution, idea, etc.) in order to suggest how it could be different/better.

We then read p. 152 in Sightlines 9, "Commercial" by John Updike.  Your homework is to assess how this piece fits traits 1,2 3.

We covered the exam outline today - we reviewed aspects of poetry, novel and demand writing.  Letters were submitted as well.

Today you were assigned to write two letters in relation to the novel - one from Travis to Shon and one in reply.  You will write from 10 years in the future.  Letters must follow the letter format outlined in ResourceLines 9/10.  at least 5 paragraphs - intro, 3 body, conclusion.  decide form/purpose - expository (to explain something), descriptive (to express a feeling), persuasive (to change an idea/behaviour), narrative (to make a point through a story) or reflective (to consider a change through some event).

Chapter summaries up to 6 should be in homework/notes section of notebook. 

FINISH READING NOVEL - we will be finishing up our discussion Wed, Thurs, and Fri.

Letters due Mon.

On Friday we worked with the other 9 section on thought webs for: bullying and stitches.  We then began reading the beginning of chapter one to understand the Status Quo of the novel.

Reflection - In light of our discussion on bullying, does it matter what kind of bullying it is?  Is some bullying justified?  Do some people "ask for it"?  Should we take in special account issues of gender, dis/ability, age, class, sexuality when we consider cases of bullying?

We reviewed a sample CRT poem test in class today; this included another sample paragraph model.  The in-class is tomorrow.

We completed one model question today - on the literal level of meaning in the poem.  We wrote a topic sentence for the theme question - complete this question using the PPE (point, proof, explanation) model.  2 Details required.  Refer to the handout on Transition Words to ensure that each sentence fits with the next.  And remember to embed (not just drop in) your quotes.

Remembrance Day and Arts and Letters due next Tuesday, November 15

In-class unseen poetry test - next Wednesday, November 16

Sample short answer questions on "View of a Pig" tomorrow.

I reviewed found poetry today with you as some people were absent last day.  We also created a group poetry glossary.  You have each been given a copy of a National Geographic and asked to complete another found poem for next day.  Next class will be first day of two days of working on "The Highwayman," which will be submitted for marks.

Today you submitted your memoirs.  We had a guest come in and play us a song on his guitar.  You were asked to write a journal on the experience, his song, etc.

We then read "Equal Opportunity" together and in pairs you answered question number one on irony and the title.

We will take this up and discuss allusion in the poem tomorrow.

Today we discussed our impressions of the film "The Help."  We set next Wednesday (next class) as our due date for the film review.

The following questions were set for a reflective journal:

1. who are the 'Black Maids' in my world?  (those people whose work and value are invisible to me)

2. who/what is my enemy?  who/what is an enemy to me being me? (in the process of me realizing my values, sense of justice or self-worth, etc.)

3. do I have courage?

I also gave a handout today on Memoir.  Your homework is to read about memoir from the notes.  Next class, Wednesday, we will discuss memoir.  You will then be asked to pick a "Black Maid," likely someone/a role in our society whom you selected as part of your reflective journal, and you will write a memoir from their perspective.  You will try to gain insight into the possibility of their lives.  This writing process will begin next week.

Today we took up our question on Metaphor and completed a question on Repetition.  I also gave notes for the Film Review which is required for the film tomorrow.

Tomorrow - field trip 11:15-3pm.  "The Work" at Empire Theatres.  Permission slips went home tomorrow.

Today you submitted your journals.

We then had an interesting discussion about "Work."  We created a thought-web that covered various aspects of our attitudes and understandings of what 'work' means in our culture.  We then read "In Service," by Maxine Tynes.

For homework you are asked to read the poem again and complete a chart:  Personal Response/Analytical Points.  Under Personal Response you might have things like: your impressions, what does poem 'say' or mean? theme? what does it make you feel?  Under Analytical Points you would address: how did the poem make that meaning?  what techniques were used?

I will be doing a homework check next class.

Due Next Class - a 1 page autobiographical description.  Start with your reaction to the chair exercise and move into telling me something about yourself, about your character (vs. your hair colour!).

Also, select a journal topic for the K'Naan song (from those discussed in class - remember, a good reflection topic is typically framed as a question or series of questions).

We have been working on descriptive vs. reflective journal writing.  Specifically, you have been working out the process of generating a reflective topic from some object/'thing' - i.e. two songs.  Today we will work on K'Naan's "Fatima" and we will move into a writers' workshop in which you will produce your first submission piece - a reflective journal.