March 31

The Last Two Weeks In Review

Dear Students,

Today’s test was NOT an April’s Fool Joke.  All of the skills you were asked to preform on the test ARE skills you have been taught this year (many specifically over the last two weeks) and skills you WILL be expected to preform to pass your ECA for Eng. 10.

  1. Paraphrasing tell me what the 5 main ideas are in the following lines from Beowulf.

Nothing, their dreams undisturbed. The monster’s

Thought were as quick as his greed or his claws:

He slipped through through the door and there in the silence

Snatched up thirty men, smashed them

Unknowing in their beds and ran out with their bodies,

The blood dripping behind him, back

To his lair, delighted with his night’s slaughter.

Correct Answer – Number one, Grendel thinks, moves, and kills quickly. Secondly, his victims are asleep, peaceful and unaware of their danger. The third main idea is that Grendel kills and then carries their bodies back to his lair. Fourthly, the bodies are bloody. And finally, killing makes Grendel happy.

 

2. In the following lines from Beowulf how does the poem establish that the coming battle is not just a battle between the hero and a monster, but a battle between good and evil?

In Herot, when the night hid him, he never

Dared to touch King Hrothgar’s glorious

Throne, protected by God – God,

Whose love Grendel could not know. But Hrothgar’s

Correct Answer – Hrothgar’s throne is untouched because it is protected by God, who is unknown by Grendel.

 

3. What advantage does Beowulf have in his fight with Grendel?

A. God’s protection. Beowulf fights for good and Grendel fights for evil.
B. Superior strength, Grendel is moved to fear at the hardness of Beowulf’s hands.
C. Superior intellect, Grendel is driven by animal instincts and can not think as quickly as Beowulf.
D.   Superior speed, Grendel is powerful but can not move as quickly as Beowulf.
4. What does Beowulf do after slaying Grendel’s mother?  Be sure to include in your response what two things Beowulf takes with him.
Correct Answer – After slaying Grendel’s mother, Beowulf beheads Grendel, takes Grendel’s head and the hilt of the giants’ sword, and swims to land.
5, Compare and Contrast: What characteristics do the dragon and Grendel have in common?
   (This is a compare and contrast question, not the : (colon) after the word Contrast. You are expected to both compare and contrast the characteristics that the dragon and Grendel have in common.
Correct Answer – The dragon, like Grendel, is huge, has fearsome claws, and lives in a dark lair.  The dragon is a reptile and walks on four legs, while Grendel is described in terms that sound more like a mammal (he has hair). Also, Grendel walks on two legs and has arms and hands. 
6. What is Beowulf’s last request? Be sure to include in your response who Beowulf is making the request to.
Correct Answer – Beowulf’s last request is for Wiglaf to lead his people and to erect a tower in Beowulf’s name. 
7. In the following lines from Beowulf, which is an example of an appositive?
(Remember our lesson on Tuesday – an appositive is a noun or a pronoun placed next to another noun or pronoun to identify or explain it.  There for the key is looking for nouns or pronouns and can not be any of the answers that does not use a second noun or pronoun to further define the first).
Just like “Beowulf, Higlac’s follower”  A noun to further name the first noun.
8 – 12 were simple recall information directly from your notes.
13. Pick one of the 12 stages (not simple one of the four parts) of The Hero’s Journey and provide a detailed description of how that stage is represented in the epic poem, Beowulf. Make sure that you provide specific details explaining why the part of the poem you have selected is a strong example of the stage you are matching it to.  This is a writing assignment so make sure your proofread your work prior to submitting your final response.
I reiterated to everyone that this was an essay question. Just like the essay questions you have been writing all year and will have to write on you ECA,  essays require an introduction (with a hook, the name of the poem, and a thesis statement), a body paragraph (with a topic sentence and supporting details), and a conclusion. To make it even easier, this essay question could have been easily copied directly from the homework assignment on Monday asking you to do the exact same thing.
     I realize that many of you honestly believe that I am asking too much of you. I don’t know what to do about that other than try to break it down a different way for you:
  1. We only read a small excerpt of Beowulf.
  2. It was not difficult reading. The portions we read are listed as being at an average accessibility level for your school grade and reading expectations.
  3. We read a good portion of the excerpt out loud together in class.
  4. You took notes over every skill and each of the vocabulary words on the test.
  5. We have worked on essay development all year long.

I really do not know what else I could possibly have done to help you better prepare for this test. Primary based on the number of students who openly chose not to do the homework or the reading itself, there will be NO second chance retakes of this test.  My suggestion would be to read what is assigned, do what ever learning activities or homework is suggested to help you understand the concepts and ideas, study your notes and the material prior to the next test, and come to me during AL or make an appointment to have me help you before or after school if you still don’t quite understand something that you know you are going to be tested on.

 Homework for Friday April 1stHomework: Finish reading “from the Iliad” and use complete sentences to answer the following questions:

  1. What does the Prologue to Gilgamesh suggest about the duties of a Sumerian King?
  2. What does Hektor ask of Achilleus after he is mortally wounded?
  3. What conclusions about the values of ancient Greece can you draw from the request Hektor made of Achilleus and Achilleus’ response?
  4. Compare and Contrast a modern leader with Gilgamesh, Achilleus, and Beowulf. Consider both their deeds and their actions.
March 31

Today in Eng. 10

Your test for Beowulf is in Canvas.  After you finish the test (or as homework tonight if you work on the test the entire class period) you need to read “Connections / Ancient Babylonia / Greece” on page 68 and the short “from Gilgamesh The Prologue” on pages 69 and 70. After you have read the information you need to use complete sentences to answer the following questions:

  1. What are two of Gilgamesh’s major accomplishments?
  2. Compare what Gilgamesh and Boewulf do for their respective peoples.

You will turn the written response to these two questions into the tray prior to the start of class on Friday. 

March 30

Beowulf Integration Into The Hero’s Journey

Here is a great home work response from Monday in which Lucas H. integrates the portions of Beowulf that we have read into The Hero’s Journey cycle.  Great job Lucas!

A monomyth is a cyclical journey taken by a mythical a hero and “from Beowulf” is a good example of this. The story has different sections, like a diagram of a Hero’s Journey, and these sections correspond to the parts of The Hero’s Journey. The first and second sections “The Wrath of Grendel” and “The Coming of Beowulf,” respectively, represent the call to adventure, the first part of the Hero’s Journey. At first, the people in Herot are in the regular world but this shortly ends. This is also when Beowulf learns of the menace, Grendel, and is called into action. Part two of the Hero’s Journey, the beginning of the journey, can be seen as the sections from “The Battle with Grendel” through “The Battle with Grendel’s Mother.” In these sections Beowulf faces many enemies and has to slay them. He crosses the threshold and goes into this life of fighting and goes underwater to finish this monsters. He gets his special weapon, a huge sword, in these sections and slays the monsters with it. “The Last Battle” can be seen as part three in the Hero’s Journey, transformation. In this section he has become king and has one last ordeal to face. He wants to prove his worth and slay a menacing dragon. He wants to kill the dragon and claim the riches as his own reward for his fighting. The final sections of the poem, “The Spoils” and “The Farewell,” resemble part four of the Hero’s Journey, the return. In these sections, much like in the monomyth diagram, Beowulf begins his “road back” after finishing the final menace and saving his kingdom. He is grateful for his soldiers bravery and gives one of his last family members all of his armor and jewels, this can be seen as his atonement. Finally Beowulf has his final return as he passes away and has a royal burial. His men build a huge tower and make his final return a good one as they praise his tomb with riches.

 

Don’t forget that the final over Beowulf is tomorrow.  Most of the questions are short response or essay questions that require you to integrate the reading into what we have learned about Epic Poetry and The Hero’s Journey.  Study tonight.

March 28

Beowulf Review

Whole Class Discussion

Yesterday, we finished our reading from Burton Raffel’s translation of Beowulf. So now let’s take the first part of class today to do a little review and work on this week’s A-List Academic Word = Integrate – To make whole by combining the different parts into one: to join or make something part of a larger unit. Combine – Incorporate – Synthesize

  1. How do each of the different parts from Beowulf fit into our larger study of The Hero’s Journey? (This is an opportunity for you to integrate each section of the poem into the bigger monomyth model)
    1. The Wrath of Grendel
    2. The Coming of Beowulf
    3. The Battle with Grendel
    4. The Monster’s Lair
    5. The Battle With Grendel’s Mother
    6. The Last Battle
    7. The Spoils
    8. The Farewell

Word Analysis: Latin Root – sol –

Grammar and Style Lesson: Appositives and Appositive Phrases

As an exit ticket today – Make a comment on this blog post in which you write a description of Grendel, using two appositive phrases that have not already been used.

March 17

Alliteration, Caesura, and Kennings

Alliteration, Caesura, and Kennings

Poetic Devices

Anglo-Saxon Poetry

Three Poetic Devices

The following poetic devices are essential features of Anglo-Saxon poetry:

  • Alliteration
  • caesura
  • kennings

What Is Alliteration?

Alliteration is the repetition of consonant sounds in words that are close to one another. Alliteration may occur

  • at the beginnings of words, as in “bright blue” or “kind comment”
  • within words, as in “jacket pocket”

Alliterative Anglo-Saxons

Instead of rhymes, Anglo-Saxon oral poets used alliteration along with carefully placed pauses called caesura to add music and rhythm to their poems.

  • Lines of Anglo-Saxon verse often are divided into two halves separated by a rhythmic pause, or caesura.
  • Some lines have three alliterative words—two words in the first half before the caesura and one word in the second half.
  • Other lines have only two alliterative words—one in each half.

Alliterative Anglo-Saxons

Examples:

Went up to Herot, wondering what the warriors (caesura after Herot)

Would do in that hall when their drinking was done.”

What Is a Kenning?

A kenning is a metaphorical phrase or compound word used to name a person, place, thing, or event indirectly.

  • Kennings such as whale-road and battle-dew fill Anglo-Saxon poetry.
  • Combining existing words from the relatively small Anglo-Saxon vocabulary helped poets to create alliteration.
  • Kennings were memorable, ready-made phrases that bards could reuse and pass on to others.

Kennings Then and Now

The Use of Alliteration and Kennings

Anglo-Saxon literature was part of an oral tradition. Poems, songs, and stories were passed from one generation to another orally.

  • Anglo-Saxon poets and storytellers used alliteration and kennings because these devices
  • aided memory
  • created sound effects
  • pleased the audience

 

While there is NO Eng. 10 homework assigned during Spring Break you should review the weekly lesson plans for the week after Spring Break.  This will allow you to be prepared for the week we come back to school.

March 16

Pop Quiz Review / Mandatory Reading

Review the following information, and look at the correct Pop Quiz responses.

All class lectures as well as discussions and vocabulary builder words must be included in your notes. The purpose of taking class note, regardless of the form you take them in, is to develop or improve the quality or substance of your understanding of the material or lesson being taught in class.  Your notes should help you extend or elaborate upon the idea or material taught in order to give it greater significance, meaning, understanding, complexity or strength to the material.

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“Carl Jung and Joseph Campbell are two of the most prominent explorers of the psychoanalytical and mythological origins for human and social behavior. ”

Excerpt From: “The Hero’s Journey.” iBooks.

“ Carl Jung expanded the work of Sigmund Freud and the unconscious mind to emphasize the mythological forces working within the individual to shape his or her personality. Jung formed the concept of archetype and collective unconscious to explain the commonality of dream images and situations found in all people. ”

Excerpt From: “The Hero’s Journey.” iBooks.

“Joseph Campbell built on Carl Jung’s concept of the collective unconscious to encompass all the world’s mythologies. Campbell studied the world’s religions, art, and stories and discovered common threads throughout all, including the hero. Campbell believed that mythology is the collective “dream” of mankind, the “song of the universe.”

Excerpt From: “The Hero’s Journey.” iBooks.

Eng. 10 Pop Quiz

1.Explain what it means to develop something. Be sure to use at least two of the specific words used during Monday’s lesson.

To receive all 6 points you must have given an explanation and used two of the three words from the “cloud with a silver lining” notes from Monday.

Example of acceptable answer: Developing something means to shed more light on it and elaborate on the subject and to formulate ideas or concepts.

2.Which of the following men first applied the term archetype to literature?

Carl Jung

3.Which of the following men, studied the religions, art, and myths from around the world and named the hero’s journey the monomyth?

Joseph Campbell

4.All of the following, EXCEPT which, are parts of The Hero’s Journey?

Apotheosis is the last stage, not one of the four parts.

Honors Eng. 10 Pop Quiz

1.Explain what it means to develop something. Be sure to use at least two of the specific words used during Monday’s lesson. (6 Points)

To receive all 6 points you must have given an explanation and used two of the three words from the “cloud with a silver lining” notes from Monday.

Example of acceptable answer: Developing something means to shed more light on it and elaborate on the subject and to formulate ideas or concepts.

2. The Hero’s Journey is an archetypal story pattern that we have defined as having ___ parts, and ____ stages. (2 Points)

4 parts, 12 stages

3.All of the following, EXCEPT which, are parts of The Hero’s Journey? (2 Points)

Apotheosis is the last stage, not one of the four parts.
4.Explain who Carl Jung and Joseph Campbell were and what each has to do with the idea of The Hero’s Journey.(6 Points)
To receive all 6 points you must have differentiated that Carl Jung was a psychiatrist who studied the human mind to compare dreams and created the concept of archetypes, whereas Joseph Campbell was a mythologist who built on Jung’s ideas to create the monomyth concept. You must also have linked the archetype and the monomyth as components of The Hero’s Journey.
Example of acceptable answer: Carl Jung was a psychiatrist whom compared dreams and ideas of different cultures and discovered to idea of archetypes. Joseph Campbell studied myths, art, religions, and stories from cultures all around the world to built from Jung’s ideas and created the monomyth of the Hero’s Journey.
Now that you have reviewed the correct level of attention to detail that is required of you, please read the following review of your responsibility at this level of your education. Again, all of this information can be found in the class syllabus, previous lessons, past blog posts, and or your text books for English 10.
It is your responsibility to come to class prepared everyday. This included having already read the blog, gotten copies of the notes or any other material you need prior to the start of your class.  If something didn’t work on your iPad the day before, get a pass from me to get it taken care of prior to your class start time the next day. We have to move on wether you attended class or not. There is a lesson plan and things that need to be covered everyday in class, so you don’t get to slow down the class by taking class time to get caught up. You are welcome to come see me between classes or during AL if you need a pass or need additional help.
If it has been posted on the blog, provided to you in the form of a handout or text, or discussed in class you are responsible for knowing that information. Saying, “I wasn’t here” “I never read that” “It’s just easier to wait and ask you” or “I didn’t know” concerning anything already provided to you is not an acceptable nor grade appropriate response. Be your own problem solver, use critical thinking skills and figure out how to find the information prior to your next class.
There are never any games to be played on your iPad during my class. Eng.10 is all about reading, writing, listening, and speaking so you are never finished, there is always something else you can be reading.  For approximately 50 minutes everyday I expect you to focus and be engaged with language arts development tasks and activities.

We are in the final grading period of the school year. You have several mandatory tests that you will be taking over the next couple of months. There is no time left to waste on trying to find a way to get out of what is expected of you in class.  We are to the point that your learning truly is your responsibility. You must pay attention to details, patterns, and the critical thinking opportunities provided to you. It’s your grade; it’s your future.

March 15

Monthly Paper Assignment

None of this is new information.  The following is the exact same information you were given earlier in the school year concerning the Monthly Paper Assignment.

Overview

Both the reading and writing parts of this assignment have several important goals. Through this once-a-month assignment, you will:

  • Read a variety of types of text (images, essays, films, articles, poems, stories, and multimedia productions)
  • Improve your familiarity with how to use the Web and its resources
  • Reinforce and extend your knowledge of how to write paragraphs that are focused, organized, and developed using examples and details
  • Write about a subject of interest to you and your audience that demonstrates your ability to read a variety of texts with insight
  • Write with an emphasis on clarity and correctness

Step One

Decide what you will read. Go to: Burke’s Digital Textbook. If you don’t have much time, try one of the Quick Picks. If you have more time or the inclination, take time to investigate one of the other sites listed in Burk’s Digital Textbook. The only other option is to use one of the print magazines from the classroom.

Step Two

Read the text you choose. I say “text” because you might choose an image, a web-based documentary, a painting, a poem, or a video essay. Before you begin, jot down some questions about the text you chose, questions that will help you read it better. If you are not sure how to take your reading to the next step, go to englishcompanion.com and scroll down the main page to the list of How-To-Reads in the left-hand margin. 

Step Three

Write a one-page paper that

  • 􀂄 is double-spaced and typed; uses 12-point Times New Roman font and 1.25-inch margins.
  • 􀂄 establishes a clear thesis in your opening paragraph.
  • 􀂄 organizes itself into paragraphs, each with a main idea that relates to and builds on your thesis.
  • 􀂄 includes examples and details from the text you read; these examples should maintain the focus, organization, and development of each paragraph. Make sure you include the in-text citation for your examples.
  • 􀂄 follows dMLA  format of the sample paper:and includes a Works Cited page
  • 􀂄 is revised and is proofread.

Remember that you are responding to the text, not summarizing it or doing a report on the issue.

March 13

Essay Results

All of the following students earned an A on the compare / contrast essay. Congratulations, you all especially deserve it. For several of you, this essay represented the strongest writing you have done all year.  I am so proud of all of you.

Samantha S.     Makayla B.     Alexiah S.     Savannah P

Annie S.     Jacob F.     N. Hensley     Joshua W.

Emma D.     Alex H.     Olivia L.     Amaya S.

Kylee T.     Madelynn C.     Lucas H.     Austin V.

Braxton M.     Taylor W.     Samantha H.     Skyler V.

Nathan H.     Rhiannon F.     Karlie R.     Chandler W.

Sean M.     Hayley T.     Jaren O.

 

Three of the five class periods also met the 70% or higher class average and will not have to do the March, April or May monthly paper assignments.  Congratulations to Period 2 with an average of 81%, Period 5 with an average of 78%, and Period 7 with a 71% average.

We are Critical Thinkers and Writers!