Digital 404 Week of 3/30

I think as we go another week into digital erudition, the AP Lit class (notice one class and not multiple classes anymore - at least that is a benefit to this situation) has brought all of their passion, interest, bemusement, and commentary to the screen realm that they invested in the physical class experience. Yes, it is not the same without all of us face-to-face and responding to our readings on a daily basis. Yet, we have digital commentary charts, zoom meetings, and any other technology to help maintain this connection. For the most part, the AP Lit class has lived up to their commitment to the course and each other.

To recap last week, for those who might have been a tad selective in their completion of AP Lit activities and would like to add their persona and perspective to the class, we finished up the entirety of the Frankenstein lesson plan, completed free response lesson plan steps and 2 of the 5 charts for this unit, and completed zoom meetings.

For this week, here are the activities to continue our work in British Literature:

• Phase 3 Importance of Being Earnest lesson plans, steps 1-5, which include research of Victorian Era, Victorian Art, and Oscar Wilde plus the reading of the play and zoom meetings
• Phase 2 Free Response, step 4, chart 3 of 5

As always, the lesson plans on the shared drive give detailed information regarding all of the assignments. I also sent an e-mail with the same information as listed above plus an optional day-by-day schedule if that helps you with completion. 

Seniors, we are rounding the bend on your high school career. While we may not know exactly how it reaches completion, we do have this class to complete, literature to read and analyze, and final weeks of glorious conversation from all of you. 

Digital Room 404 Begins

I have just sent you all 3 items of note: an overview of what AP Lit will be for the near future, your member invitation to our shared drive, and the suggested pacing for the assignments this week. For the first, we will still have a portfolio for your individual work, which you will need to create and share with me. For the second, you have all the upcoming lesson plans - even ones that we won't get to yet - and digital assignments that involve class interaction and individual completion.

For the third, here is a copy of the pacing plan:

Overall this is the expected items to complete during this week. You can definitely work at your own pace, but make sure you have items prepped for full classroom meetings.

1. Your Portfolio Folder with Questions & Observations  (instructions on previous e-mail)

2. All 5 parts of the Frankenstein Phase 1 Lessons

3. Parts 1-3 of the Free Response Phase 2 Lessons

4. Complete 2/5 of Free Response Charts

A possible schedule for the assignments with the first half of the week a little lighter than the second half: 

Today/Monday

Your Portfolio Folder with Questions/Observations

Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday

Baby Lit Frankenstein

Christening

Movie Clips

Final Discussion Sign-Up/Zoom Meeting* 

*It would be ideal if you have the Baby Lit, Christening, Movie Clips, and Discussion Sign Up prior to the meeting so we can reference your ideas and have some fun, of course.

Thursday

Frankenstein Prose Prompt

Friday

Free Response Text Selections

Free Response Prompt Year Selections

Free Response Reminders

Saturday/Sunday

Two Free Response Charts

I should be hearing from you all in the next 30 hours, so let's see what thoughts you have about AP Lit, life, Frankenstein, and whatever else would come up in our classes. By the way, you are all one AP class now - fantasy fulfilled - so I hope you enjoy working with those "other" AP Lit students!

Well, Your Senior Year Will Be Memorable!

Hello, my beloved AP Lit students. My tone currently is incredulous if that helps you with reading the following blog. I don't know exactly what the plan is with schoolwork, assignments, practice exams, or anything really! I spent today trying to figure out how AP Lit would run the rest of the semester, and, fortunately for us, it involved reviewing free response essays, prose texts, poetry texts, tone, multiple choice, and practice exams. Guess what? You've done all of these types of analysis and writing already, so you should feel completely confident that when the work resumes and the AP Lit test comes around, that you will be just fine. I will be updating the blog and working with digital means if that proves to be the move of the district. In any circumstance, all your grades are updated for third quarter, and you have Frankenstein to finish reading if you have not done so already. I do love that book! I guess I will send you links to the movie clips we would have watched in class for your entertainment value.

I hope that all of you take this time out of school seriously and consider why we are not there: to help stop the spread of a virus that has caused great harm and fear across the world (why do I feel like I'm in really bad youth fiction apocalypse novel?). To take this two weeks flippantly or without consideration lacks the empathy for those that will have this virus or watch their loved ones have illness.

Wishing you the best, my dear Flavortown and Monsters, Inc. travelers :)

Quizzical Musings on the Plot of Frankenstein

Since the majority of women, minor as they are, in Frankenstein, in some shape or form, are grouped under the heading of angelic, dutiful, caregiver figures, is the only way to have a truly original feminine presence be to craft her together with "materials" and starting anew? Our creature, Adam, whatever name would suit him best, might not find that to be the case in reality - if Victor gives him that chance. Plus, if he did spend quality time with that journal, wouldn't he be able to become another God and make his own new species? And speaking of writing, as noted in second hour, anyone else find it odd that all three narrators have the same voice, diction, and syntax? I guess we argued it out that the Creature read Victor's journal and mimics his creator and that Walton is technically the storyteller at the crux of the novel, and he is using all of his poetic and adventurous readings from his youth to craft Victor's narrative and the Creature's narrative into something cohesive. Then, there's Ernest. Whatever happened to him? Did there need to be a third brother in the plot? Anywho, this type of blog happens the day before spring break starts, and I haven't had any coffee yet. 

In class today, we had individual points regarding chapters 11-16, or all about the Creature and his "friends," the cottagers. 

For the next week or so, you have the task of finishing up Frankenstein (do this first) and completely the close read of the prose passage from the novel (do this second unless you want to spoil the plot). 

Our first week back will include all of the following: the assessment, final discussion, and film clips regarding Frankenstein, a full MC practice test, a recap of free response essays, and then your first full AP Lit test.

Blessing

Thank you to my AP Lit students, especially those who have stuck with AP English and me for multiple years, for bringing the knowledge, the energy, the randomness (Clerval bubble baths, recess time) that makes AP Lit such an entertaining course to be a part of every year. You have been a part of my daughter's growth, within and without, you have treated my brain malfunctions with humor and compassion, and you make me feel supported and of consequence in your educational path. Through all the minutia and over-analysis that you find, you have become my teachers too! 

At the beginning of the year, I presented this class and its run to the AP test with the analogy of crawling to walking to running. Well, in real life, Cora has progressed to that second phase, and, from what I have witnessed in class and in your writing and in your discussions is that you have too. We are about to enter the running stage - I don't know if I'm ready for Cora's mobility, but I know I'm ready for yours - and that will include reviews of poetry, prose, free response, and MC plus 2 full practice exams. It may seem like a great deal, but think of everything you have accomplished not just in this class, but in your senior year, your high school career, your whole life for that matter. You once were a non-verbal progeny observing the world around you, taking in all of what life had to offer you, and now you are bringing all of that gained knowledge to fruition. 

I can't imagine AP Lit without all of you next year, my 25 savants. Blessed to be your teacher and blessed to be a mum to my birthday girl!

P.S. Don't forget to read through chapter 16 of Frankenstein so that we may chat about "Adam's" journey in observation of humanity. Like Grendel, humans are not the best role models in teaching morals, sanctity, and compassion. 

Teams Father, Caroline, Elizabeth, Clerval, or Everyone We Like Better Than Victor

After reviewing the answers for the second multiple choice passage (whether the answers were faulty or not), you shared, in teams, quotes, analysis, and adjectives for your assigned character, all of whom are intelligent, kind, engaging, and all-around awesome people! You would think Victor would have gleaned a bit more of the sensitivity, morals, and behavior of his parents (which calls into question why he is such a poor "father" in his own experience), his sister, and his dear best friend. Our young generation, Victor, Walton (he's approximately there age), and Clerval represent all those qualities of Byronic and Romantic heroes, though some fall into one category more than others. (And if Victor is Shelley, Walton is Byron, does that make Clerval my beloved Keatsy? That might be a little imaginative interpretation, but since I crush on Clerval too, it only makes sense to align him with the nature-loving, philosophical, unable-to-reach-his-dreams-due-to-lack-of-financial-stability Keats.) Next time, we will be looking at chapters 5-10, which exemplify Victor's "new species" that will be forever grateful for coming into existence at his hands. Sure.

Team Walton and Team Victor

The class split into teams today to share their characterizations - with evidence and citations, of course - of Walton, our Romantic hero, and Victor, our Byronic hero. Buddies in search of knowledge, or madness depending on your perspective, the "stranger" is about the share his tale of bewildering heartbreak and evil to his ever-laudatory listener. And with that, you have chapters 1-4 to read as Victor takes over narrating duties. You are following one character in the section and constructing a character chart with evidence and analysis for next class. Ali, you have Henry Clerval. Logan, you have Caroline. Madelyn, you have Elizabeth.

We also completed a second practice MC today, and we will analyze the answers tomorrow!