Gilgameshing

After vocabulary today, we finished overanalyzing the first 8 sections of Beowulf, focusing on the building motifs of light and dark, the juxtaposition of Grendel and Beowulf, and all that blood, bones, and gore left behind. Then, we underanalyzed the ending, looking more at the continuing motifs and ideologies and feeling the love for Grendel's mother.

Next, we used post it note questions to focus small group discussion on Gilgamesh and its three characters, epic similes, and motifs.

For homework, you still have your second book card due tomorrow. You also need to read The Iliad pgs. 65-76 (I think -- I am without a book at this current moment).

GRENDEL IS COMING TOMORROW!

Scapegoats & Brad Pitt

2: Today's class began with the drama of screaming goats, thanks to our vocabulary word "scapegoat" and Geico's obvious ode to the much blamed animal. After our vocabulary, we analyzed Beowulf - although, I suppose we spend as much time gathering pathos for the much maligned Grendel as we do the titled protagonist. As a class, we noted the juxtaposition of darkness (Grendel, hell, violence, pagan dealings with the devil) and light (men, earth, nature, signing, a throne of God's making) and how these two opposites seem to merge into one "gray morning" resplendent of man and monster morphing into one complex reflection of humanity.  We began our partner overanalysis and will finish said discussion on Thursday.

Reading-wise, finish Beowulf by reading pages 36-38, live like it's 999 by reading pages 40-41, and meet Gilgamesh by reading 56-63.

4: We started class discussing the dissolution of Angelina & Brad's marriage while copying down our next unit's vocab words, which will begin Wednesday. Then, we did all the same stuff as mentioned for second hour, so make sure you read through their synopsis and complete the same reading assignment.

Anglo-Saxons

Second hour copied down the latest unit of vocabulary while fourth hour completed the vocab quiz for unit 2. Any missing students will need to take the quiz by Wednesday.

Next up, we finished learning about New Historicist criticism, which will be the focus of your eventual paper. As cultural ideologies are at the center of this form of criticism, we created a class list of Anglo-Saxon ideologies, which we will use during our reading selections this week.

For homework, read Beowulf pages 21-36 and be prepared to over-analyze everything involved.

Into the New Historicist Lens

All classes: You now have a big green textbook, which will you use to read pages 4-20 this weekend. As you learn about the Anglo Saxons, write a list of their ideologies and behaviors to share in class on Monday. The last part of the reading sets up Beowulf, which will be on our agenda next week. And, do not forget that your second book card is due on Friday, September 23. And, make sure to turn in your Kate Chopin text by September 23. Write your name on the inside front cover for me.

2: We completed the vocab quiz for unit 2, which means any absent students will need to make up the quiz by Tuesday. Then, we peer evaluated your free response essays, which were then collected by me. To end the hour, we started to look at New Historicist Criticism, which deals with ideologies of the past and how they are represented to a modern culture. We will continue the background of this critical lens on Monday, and hopefully meet Beowulf and that pesky descendant of Cain.

4: We reviewed vocab, which means you will be taking the quiz on Monday. Then, we did everything listed under second hour.

The Random World of Free Response Essays

In the realm of vernacular improvement, second hour reviewed for their vocab quiz and fourth hour completed experts for unit 2.

For the remainder of our shortened hour, you worked on composing a practice free response essay on society and character reaction. (You may want to do your second book card on your free response text selection - unless it is The Awakening, which would cause a redundancy issue.)

Remember, always include small details that show your comprehension of the book. This may include an appositive clarifying a character's role, indicating the era of the time, or throwing in a related motif that reflects the prompt.

For tomorrow's class, bring in the finished essay. It is just a DRAFT!

And fourth hour, since you cannot have a carousel on your class t-shirts, several of us would like TABLE LEADER with someone raising a hand on the shirt this year.

Pure Imagination

While we did not completely abandon AP Lit today, we did spend the first part of our class stuffing ourselves with candy, reading quotes, and learning gobblefunk diction of Roald Dahl, the birthday boy who would have been 100 today. Hopefully, you will keep his optimistic outlook of magic, imagination, and reading as you continue into more AP Lit texts and assignments. If not, you now have gobblefunk as a type of diction category.

For the remainder of our time, you heard more about the free response prompt. You received a sample prompt, brainstormed possible texts, selected your favored text, and completed a thesis statement. You will be using this thesis statement for Thursday's class -- so be ready to write!

It's Over!

The presentations finished today! Phew! The best of the bunch was KP's from second hour, a mix of pyschoanalysis, feminist, historicist, and literary analysis with a dash of multiple Chopin texts and outside texts as well. She brought in the "Yellow Wallpaper" as a coup de gras!

To wrap up class, we made it back to vocabulary, and you received the 101 Texts handout. For homework, make sure to highlight all the texts you have read. You may be using these in the near future -- yes, tomorrow.

Speaking of tomorrow, we will have our Roald Dahl celebration for his 100th birthday! And, we will start work on free response essay writing with a step by step essay.