Essays Returned, Update the 'Working On' Page

Instructions for the Return of Essays

1.       Read through the comments, the rubric, and the annotations carefully.

2.       Do not focus on the score, but instead on the feedback you are receiving about what you’ve done well and what you can improve. (Skills, not Grades.)

3.       Open your blog, open design, click ‘Pages,’ click “Working On,’ and click edit.

4.       In your working on page/tab, do all of the following:

5.       Write a paragraph general response to the feedback you’ve been given on your essay.

6.       List the things you’re doing well.

7.       List the things you will need to work on. (All the details here: header, ‘s, fragments, thesis too general, etc.)

8.       Save.

9.       Put everything back in your own folder.

Hamlet Characters

Hamlet (Characters and Plot for Act I and II)

CLAUDIUS, King of Denmark.

HAMLET, Son to the late, and Nephew to the present King.

FORTINBRAS, Prince of Norway.

HORATIO, Friend to Hamlet.

POLONIUS, Lord Chamberlain.

LAERTES, his Son.

VOLTIMAND, CORNELIUS, ROSENCRANTZ, GUILDENSTERN, OSRIC, & A Gentleman: Courtiers.

A Priest.

MARCELLUS & BERNARDO, Officers.

FRANCISCO, a Soldier.

REYNALDO, Servant to Polonius.

A Captain.

English Ambassadors.

Players. Two Clowns, Grave-diggers.

GERTRUDE, Queen of Denmark and Mother to Hamlet.

OPHELIA, Daughter to Polonius.

Lords, Ladies, Officers, Soldiers, Sailors, Messengers, and Attendants.

Act I. Shakespeare's longest play and the play responsible for the immortal lines "To be or not to be: that is the question:" and the advise "to thine own self be true," begins in Denmark with the news that King Hamlet of Denmark has recently died.

Denmark is now in a state of high alert and preparing for possible war with Young Fortinbras of Norway. A ghost resembling the late King Hamlet is spotted on a platform before Elsinore Castle in Denmark. King Claudius, who now rules Denmark, has taken King Hamlet's wife, Queen Gertrude as his new wife and Queen of Denmark.

King Claudius fearing Young Fortinbras of Norway may invade, has sent ambassadors to Norway to urge the King of Norway to restrain Young Fortinbras. Young Hamlet distrusts King Claudius. The King and Queen do not understand why Hamlet still mourns his father's death over two months ago. In his first soliloquy, Hamlet explains that he does not like his mother marrying the next King of Denmark so quickly within a month of his father's death...

Laertes, the son of Lord Chamberlain Polonius, gives his sister Ophelia some brotherly advice. He warns Ophelia not to fall in love with Young Hamlet; she will only be hurt. Polonius tells his daughter Ophelia not to return Hamlet's affections for her since he fears Hamlet is only using her...

Hamlet meets the Ghost of his father, King Hamlet and follows it to learn more...

Hamlet learns from King Hamlet's Ghost that he was poisoned by King Claudius, the current ruler of Denmark. The Ghost tells Hamlet to avenge his death but not to punish Queen Gertrude for remarrying; it is not Hamlet's place and her conscience and heaven will judge her... Hamlet swears Horatio and Marcellus to silence over Hamlet meeting the Ghost.

Act II.

Polonius tells Reynaldo to spy on his son Laertes in Paris. Polonius learns from his daughter Ophelia that a badly dressed Hamlet met her, studied her face and promptly left. Polonius believes that Hamlet's odd behavior is because Ophelia has rejected him. Polonius decides to tell King Claudius the reason for Hamlet's recently odd behavior.

King Claudius instructs courtiers Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to find out what is causing Hamlet's strange "transformation," or change of character. Queen Gertrude reveals that only King Hamlet's death and her recent remarriage could be upsetting Hamlet.

We learn more of Young Fortinbras' movements and Polonius has his own theory about Hamlet's transformation; it is caused by Hamlet's love for his daughter Ophelia. Hamlet makes his famous speech about the greatness of man. Hamlet plans to use a play to test if King Claudius really did kill his father as King Hamlet's Ghost told him...

Socratic Circle Discusssion on Mate Selection

SOCRATIC CIRCLE DISCUSSION TOPIC: Mate Selection (for males vs. females) in Austen’s 1813 world and today.

Socratic Circle Discussion: student-led discussion without the aid of the teacher; students listen closely to others’ comment, think critically for themselves, and articulate their own views. Learn to work cooperatively and to question intelligently and civilly. This is not a debate. We will have two concentric circles, one inside the other, with the inner one speaking first, then we will switch. Recorders sit in the outer circle and observe the group dynamics and also jot down best points.

1.       First, take a few minutes to jot down questions that you will pose to the group. More prep, better discussion.

2.       Apply your new insights

3.       A funny self help book: The Prospective Spouse Checklist: Evaluating Your Potential Partner by Fox and Fox  http://theprospectivespousechecklist.com/

4.       What are some of the assumptions this self-help book makes? What are the implications for marriage in our culture today?

5.       Connect the checklist with Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. What things are the same? What are the differences?

6.       Generate more questions about how mates are selected then and now.

7.       Generate questions about mate selection for women vs. men.

More tips for keeping the discussion going:

·         Be a good listener. Respond to the previous point before changing subjects.

·         Deal with awkward silences.

·         Look at each other, not the teacher.

·         Keep the conversation going. Ask follow up questions.

·         Refer to specific incidents and characters in Austen to help conversation. Even read a quote from your iPad to get the group talking about it.

Please stay respectful throughout the discussion. Some of the issues are sensitive, so choose your words well but lean into the discomfort, don’t avoid it.

Recorder’s name

Record who speaks and whether (in your judgment) they were responding to a previous point or initiating their own points. Jot notes about best points made.

Topic: Mate Selection then and now, in 1813 and 2012

Participants                                        Keep track of who speaks, initiates, responds. Note best ideas.

Observation about the group dynamics of this student-led discussion:

How did this discussion differ from a teacher-facilitated discussion?

Free Reading

Read Hunger Games

Read Clockwork Orange

Make Reading a Habit 
Choose one free reading book to read on the iPad:
Ender's Game
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
On the Road
Catch 22
Clockwork Orange
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
The Hunger Games


Read Girl with Dragon Tattoo

Read P&P and Zombies



Read Ender's Game

also choose some blogs to start reading this year and next in college. 

Read On the Road

Finishing Austen

On the iPad, practice looking up definitions
annotate the eBook
prep for Monday test
What are the best passages for investigating Power?
Gender?
Class?
Choice of Mates?
Choose a free reading book for the next few months
Use Google Earth to see Hertfordshire
Hamlet on the KNO or ibooks?

P&P pages to study

REVIEW (and know) THESE PASSAGES in Pride and Prejudice:

Ch1 Mr and Mrs Bennet

1  opening sentence: what words makes it satirical?

2-3 Explain show vs. tell

Ch2 Bennet surprises women by having visited Bingley

Ch3 The Ball, Darcy’s remark about Liz

7 What is the key (“tolerable”) insult and the gossip that follows?

Ch 4 sisters and friends as foils

9 Jane vs. Liz: How does Austen effectively use foils?

10 Darcy vs. Bingley: How does Austen use foils? Which is most effective?

Ch5 p11 Lady Lucas was “not too clever.” Whose does the narrator’s tone match?

Ch6 p13-14  Is Charlotte’s advice sound?

15 “being impertinent myself, I shall soon grow afraid of him.” Liz’s motive?

16 “Every savage” How does Darcy deliver insults? Does Sir Lucas understand?

17-18, 40  Omniscient narrator inside Darcy’s head. “Charming mother-in-law.”

Ch7 p19 Mr. Bennet’s tone “only point on which we do not agree.”

20-21 “Can I have the carriage?” “No, it seems likely to rain.”

Ch8 p23 ff Gossip: “wild” “decorum” “attorney”

Ch9 Bennets embarrass Liz

28-29 Hobby: “studier of character”

30 Are you ever embarrassed by your mom?

Ch10 Caroline watches Darcy write a letter

32-35 drawing room repartee: Liz vs. Darcy

Ch11 p37 Caroline Bingley sycophant

39 Darcy’s temper

Ch12 Liz and Jane leave Netherfield

Ch13 collin’s letter

42-43 Analyze the style of Collins’ letter

Ch14 p46;  Collins’ talent for flattery;

Ch15 p48 collins switches from Jane to Liz

49ff Wickham’s appearance

Ch16 Wickham poisons Liz

53-57 Liz gossiping with Wickham about Darcy

Ch17 prepare for Netherfield ball

Ch18 the ball

62-63 Liz dancing with Darcy, insults Darcy while dancing.

67 Collins patronizes Liz, refuses her advice about approaching Darcy

69, 70-1 Embarrassed by her family! Mrs. Bennet exposes herself and embarrasses her daughter.

Ch19 collins’ proposal

72-75 Collins’ proposal: funny or scary?

            COLLINS’ PROPOSAL

Q: How are women shown as disempowered in these scenes?  How is the scene both comic and telling? How does Liz feel?

72ff Collins proposes, Liz refuses, but is not believed

76-7 Mom’s reaction

77 Mr. Bennet referees the marriage proposal

79 Collins withdraws his offer

82 Liz and Jane decoding Caroline’s letter differently

Ch22 p87 Charlotte 90 Mr. Bennet “reassures” Mrs. Bennet about the entail

94-5 Mr Bennet is too sarcastic with Liz (foreshadows?)

            CHARLOTTE’S MARRIAGE

85 Charlotte’s engagment

87 Liz confronts Charlotte about marrying Collins

Ch23 p91 collins

p93 Discussing it with Jane

ch24 p94 Bingley in London

100  Charlotte’s wedding

            WICKHAM AND MISS KING

Ch 25/26 Gardiner 98-9 Mrs. Gardiner warns Liz about Wickham

Ch 27 Liz to London p103, 105 Liz’s reactions to Miss King and Wickham

Ch28 Liz to ROSINGS with Darcy and Charlotte

109 Collins

Ch29/30 Rosings 113 Lady Catherine: Liz talks back

Ch31 darcy at Rosings119 Darcy and Liz sparring

Ch32 Darcy visits Liz alone

Ch33 chance meeting 125-6 Col. Fitzwilliam: second sons can’t marry poor

Ch34   DARCY’S PROPOSAL and the AFTERMATH

129-31 Darcy’s self-centered proposal: “inferiority” “degradation”

Ch35 134 Darcy’s letter of explanation: ‘three young sisters, occasionally even your father’

  Jane’s “indifference”;  Wickham eloped with Georgiana (15) for her fortune

Ch36 p139 Liz re-reading (and re-evaluating) Darcy’s letter

141 Till this moment I never knew myself

   Liz’s epiphany: she sees her own blind spot: ‘prided myself on discernment’

Ch37 p144 Bad Dad ‘would never exert himself to restrain the giddiness of the daughters’

Ch38 leaving rosings 148 uglier hats --Lydia

Ch39 p148 back home

Ch 40 Liz and Jane 152 Liz’s confession ‘I meant to be uncommonly clever’ taking a dislike to Darcy

            LYDIA TO BRIGHTON?

Ch41 p155 Liz and Mom, lamentations resounding (sounds, hyperbole, satire on the regiment leaving Meryton

156 Dad’s big mistake: he says no to Liz (sarcastically), yes to Lydia ‘expose herself’

Ch42 bad dad 159-60 Liz sees her parents’ marriage problems: Bad Dad

            AT PEMBERLEY

Ch43 Pemberley 163 Pemberley: Mrs Reynolds praises Darcy

168 Darcy appears! How embarrassing!

Ch44 p174 Georgiana Darcy

Ch45 p178 Caroline

180-1 Caroline Bingley gossips about Liz: ‘great loss for your family’; ‘self-sufficiency which is intolerable’

            BENNET FAMILY CRISIS ABOUT LYDIA

Ch 46 p182 CRISIS 182 Jane’s letter is a crisis; ‘my father bears it better’; W. never intended to marry Lydia;

185 How Darcy reacts to Liz’s crisis: ‘Good God, what is the matter!’

CH47 P188 Gardiners (skim) 189 Bad Dad

192 Wedding Clothes

Ch56 p235 Lady Catherine de Bourgh arrives

Ch57 p241 letter to Mr Bennet

Ch58 p245 and 246 Another proposal (guess who!)

Ch59 explaining to family 251 Liz tells a disbelieving Jane

Ch60 p254-5 Liz tells a disbelieving Dad then Mom

Ch61 p258 happily ever

Writing Process

Write a letter on the back:
Dear Dr Forman,
paragraph about your writing process
short paragraph about your best idea or ideas
sincerely,

Next: pass your essay to the right and proofread
(let the author make neat, ink corrections)

Tell the class about writing your essay.

Done.
Now read Jane Austen