river oaks [english]

Your assignment for this weekend is to summarize the article from your textbook entitled "Critical Comments on Huck Finn." Your goal is to reduce the article to 250 words, keeping the key elements of the argument intact, while avoiding plagiarism. This skill is essential to the success of research writing. Although using direct quotes will be required, most references to articles in a paper are summaries. A SUMMARY requires you to reduce the article (or idea) to its essential element(s) and to re-word (or paraphrase ) those main points without changing the article's original intent or meaning. The first step is to READ THE SOURCE. This cannot be stressed enough. You cannot accurately or effectively summarize a source if you do not understand the source, so look up any words you don't know and make notes as you read. This is called ANNOTATION. A good friend of mine has come up with some very helpful advice on annotating sources and writing summaries. Note ...

Your assignment for this weekend is to write a 250-word reponse to a poem. Please do the following: (1) Go to POETRY 180 . (2) Choose a poem and print it out . (3) Write your response ~ 250 words, typed, MLA format . (4) Staple the reponse and poem together. Use the following questions as a guide for your response : (1) What is the name of your poem? Who is the author? (2) Is there a clear persona (speaker/narrator)? (3) What do you like about the poem? (4) What is the setting or situation? (5) What is the conflict or event? (6) Is there any figurative language used (similes, metaphors)? (7) Does the author use any specific sensory imagery? (8) Does the poem have a message? Answer only those questions that are relevant. DUE MONDAY

Your assignment for Friday is to choose one poem from Poetry 180 and to read it to the class. I've assigned a range of 10 poems for each of you, so that you will not pick the same poem as another student. Please print out your poem (or type) and follow the site's advice on How to Read a Poem. You will be asked first WHY you chose that particular poem and WHAT it means to you, so have an answer ready!

Your assignment is to write a poem of at least 10 lines describing an emotion or feeling. There are no requirements for rhyme and meter (although the poem can utilize both). However, you are required to use the five senses (sight, sound, smell, taste and touch) and specific, concrete nouns . Options include, but are not limited to: Love, Hate, Freedom, Pride, Hurt, Sadness, Comfort, Fear, Peace, Joy, Pain... Avoid writing according to a formula (i.e. "Love smells like...Love looks like"). Boring. Use fragmented thoughts, complete sentences, compound-words, phrases, whatever...just make sure you are deliberate, thoughful, purposeful with your choice of words. Your poem must be typed and formatted according to MLA. Also, please include a title for your poem that is more than simply the word. We'll read some of the poems in class, and I'll encourage some of you to submit your work to MUSINGS . This is only the first of several creative writing assignments...

Most tend to agree that The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a product of its time, and that the racism in the book simply reflects attitudes of the period. In fact, it can be argued that the use of the N-word adds to the realism (or authenticity?) of the book. However, as I've stated, many schools have banned this book for its racist content, saying that it could serve to reinforce stereotypes and encourage use of the "N" word. We all know that racism (and racist images) exist in our society still. The goal of your assignment for this long weekend is to confront some of those images and attitudes head-on. The Authentic History Center's Teaching Diversity website offers insight into the problem of the 19th century (and beyond) through images, mostly advertising, from our culture. Prepare to be offended. According to the site, "these items reflect the history and societal values of the time period in which they were produced." However, it is hard to lo...

Throughout the reading of Huck Finn , you will be required to keep a vocabulary log . This means that every time you come to a word you do not understand, you need to write it down and look it up. You are required to include twenty words, including the original sentence, the part of speech, the definition (including what you think it means), and an original sentence using the term in a way that makes the meaning clear. Because there are twenty entries, they are worth 100 points total . Your vocabulary assignment is due on the day we take the Huck Finn Exam. As usual, this assignment should be typed; however, it does not have to be double-spaced. See handout for format and examples.

Your assignment is to write a comparison/contrast paper, using The Odyssey (the poem) and O Brother, Where Art Thou? (the film). The first step in the process was to read the poem and to watch the movie, taking notes on both. Second, as illustrated in class, you should make a comparison chart , listing matching details from your two sources. Then, find three pairs (sub-topics) that are related in some way. Finally, you are required to turn in a typed outline (due Wednesday). Your essay should follow the five-paragraph outline discussed in class: I. Introduction (includes your thesis , which states your central focus) II. Body Paragraph #1 (your first subtopic, or connecting pair) III. Body Paragraph #2 IV. Body Paragraph #3 V. Conclusion (includes a review of the film as a modern version of The Odyssey ) Your outline should be detailed, including specific examples from both the poem and the movie. When referring to the poem, include the page and line numbers. Remember that the ...

Hello Freshmen... Your assignment for the weekend is to write a 250-word (one page) response paper on O Brother, Where Art Thou . Please type and format according to MLA. You may choose from the two topics below: (1) Respond to the lyrics of one song from the film. Using your lyric sheet (or the internet ), connect the lyrics of one song to the movie's characters/setting/events. In other words, explain how the lyrics are relevant to the film. (2) Choose one of the historically relevant elements of the movie and look up an article on Wikipedia . Print out the article; then, summarize it and connect it to the movie's characters/setting/events. Be careful not to plagiarize the article, which should be stapled to your reponse. Ideas discussed in class include The Great Depression, con artist, chain gang, Populism (George Wallace, Huey P. Long, W. Lee O'Daniel), Ku Klux Klan (William Joseph Simmons), and George "Babyface" Nelson.

First, to help you get started with this whole process, you might want to check out the following links related to Mark Twain the novel: The Huck Finn Homepage from University of Virginia Ken Burns' Mark Twain on PBS Wikipedia: Mark Twain Wikipedia: Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Now that we have begun reading the novel, it's time to print out a copy of the Study Guide . As we read, you will answer questions from the guide and keep them in your binder. I'll check periodically to see that you are current, and you'll receive points at the end of the process. Daily quizzes on the reading will come directly from the study guide, so it makes sense on several levels to do the work. In addition to keeping up with the reading, each of you are required to keep a vocabulary log, looking up unfamiliar words as you come to them and defining them in the context of the book. Look for that handout soon, as well. Finally, as we begin the book, remember that your eventual goal is ...

As we begin the study of Macbeth , I thought it might be useful to include a list of resources. In addition to the following links, some students have found a side-by-side translation useful. Even better, buy a version of the play with annotations. Although your textbook does include marginal notes, they are not as extensive as they could be. I like the The Annotated Shakespeare series, which includes an introduction and annotations by Burton Raffel and an essay by Harold Bloom. You can find the book locally at Windows. First, the following is a list of some useful links on Shakespeare : Folger Shakespeare Library Shakespeare Birthplace Trust Mr. William Shakespeare and the Internet The following are related to Macbeth in particular: Backstage with the Royal Shakespeare Company Analysis from Shakespeare-Online "Macbeth: Playing at Witches" Wikipedia: Macbeth As noted in class, we will read and perform portions of the play. You will also have a couple of writing assignm...

As stated in class, we will be watching O Brother Where Art Thou this week. You'll then have two writing assignments related to the movie: (1) You will first write a comparison/contrast paper, comparing the film to The Odyssey ; for that paper, you will need to refer to specifics from the film and the poem. In other words, take notes while you are watching! To get you started, refer to Wikipedia 's breakdown of the connections between the movie and The Odyssey . (2) We will also look at some of the songs from the movie. I'll provide a handout in class of the lyrics to some of the songs from the film. You'll have an option of writing a response paper to one of the songs OR looking up information on something related to the period (The Great Depression and/or The South) and write a short summary of what you find. I'll post specifics for the assignments soon...

Your assignment is to write a comparison/contrast essay on these two American poets. You will be writing a "point-by-point" comparison & contrast , which means that your essay will be developed around three central points, which I will have supplied. Although your papers will be written individually, using evidence you find in the textbook, ALL students will use this same outline. Your essay should consist of five paragraphs, including the following: INTRODUCTION ~ MUST include a thesis that states the main point (i.e. their overall connection or difference) BODY ONE ~ Personality ~ Focusing on two or three main points, discuss each of the poets' biographies, especially as they relate to their writing. BODY TWO ~ Approach to Writing ~ Discuss influences, ideas, audience, vision, etc. BODY THREE ~ Writing Style ~ Using specific examples from their poems, discuss each writer's style (free verse vs. rhyme and meter). CONCLUSION ~ Should make any remaining st...

Today we talked about the Heroic Cycle (called the Monomyth by Joseph Campbell ). Basically, it is the pattern for most, if not all, stories that include a hero . I thought I'd give you a bit info on that subject before we get started on The Odyssey . You will all write about a film, eventually, using the five-stage model I discussed in class: (1) Call to Adventure (2) Crossing the Threshold (3) Trials and Tribulations (4) Reward and/or Enlightenment (5) The Return & Sharing the Wealth Some versions only give you three main stages -- Separation, Initiation, and Return -- and some include many more, like this one: Notice that, although the image is reversed, it includes the same elements (and provides examples).

Your Walt Whitman assignment is to compose three free verse poems of at least ten lines each. Below is an explination for each: (1) Describe a scene of your choosing, using Whitman as your model. You must use sensory imagery (sight, sound, smell, touch and taste) and parallel structure (repitition of verb forms, conjunctions, phrasing, etc.) to create your poem. (2) Describe a scene (or song) using auditory images only. In other words, use images that capture the sound of a place (or song). The goal here is to transport the reader through images that he/she can connect to. (3) Write from someone else's point of view. As Atticus Finch advises, "walk in another person's shoes" and you'll come to a new understanding of that person. This is, in essence, what Whitman is doing in "Song of Myself." Remember that this is free verse ; avoid conventional meter and rhyming patterns. Experiment with the sound of the language, as well. Whitman created cad...

The date is approaching for this year's National Shakespeare Competition , and all those interested will first be asked to compete here, before a panel of teachers. Each participant is required to recite one sonnet and one of the suggested monologues from one of Shakespeare's plays. The student who performs his/her piece the best will then represent River Oaks in the city-wide competition. The winner of that competition will then be awarded an all-expense-paid trip to New York City for the National Competition at Lincoln Center. First Prize for the winner of the National Competition is a summer acting course at the British American Drama Academy in Great Britain. Please let me know if you are interested.

From your book: "The two greatest American poets of the nineteenth century were so different from one another, both as artists and as personalities, that only a nation as varied in character as the United Stated could possibly contain them" (324). That is, in essence, what makes our country so great -- diversity of personality and thought, and the freedom necessary for both. As we move into this section of poetry, I want you to remain open to this diversity of ideas. Try to look past the pre-formed opinions you have of these two poets and their work. Celebrate their place in our country's literary history.

Your GROUP LETTER, using block format, is due Wednesday . Please include answers to the following questions: Intro ~ Who's in your group, and what scene are you doing? How are you staging the scene? What time period and style are you using for your setting? Body One ~ What is your shooting schedule? Where and when are you taping, and why? Body Two ~ Who is playing which parts? Who is operating the camera? Who is editing the footage, and how? Body Three ~ What do you plan to use as a set? What costumes are you wearing? What props do you plan to use? Conclusion ~ How can I contact your group if I have questions or announcements? In addition, please include any other information you believe is important and related to the shooting of your video.

Now that we have discussed Chaucer's "Prologue" and several techniques for characterization, it's time to apply that knowledge in a verse of your own. Each of you are required to write a poem of at least 20 lines of Iambic Pentameter in rhymed couplets. Iambic Pentameter = 5 iambic feet = 10 syllables with alternating stresses. Example: "Where ci vil blood makes ci vil hands un clean " (notice that when you read it, there are five stresses in the line) Your subject must be a character of your imagination, but can be based loosely on a specific person or personality type. Do NOT give your character a specific name. Refer to him/her by a general term (as in Chaucer). For your characterization, employ any of the methods used by Chaucer, including description of physical attributes/mannerisms, physiognomy, sensory imagery (touch, taste, smell, sight, sound), attitudes/actions, speech, etc. The best way to get started is to brainstorm details about your ...

Now that we have selected groups and scenes, it is time to begin your translations. Each group will turn in a modern translation of their scene, preserving the original meaning while avoiding slang (and inappropriate language). Use the book as your guide for formatting the translation; for example, capitalize the speaker's name, and indent speaking parts when they cover more than one line on the page. Group TRANSLATIONS are due TUESDAY , 1/10. Meanwhile, you should begin planning your video -- assigning parts and staging the scene (costumes, sets and props). Remember that all costumes, sets and props should all be connected to some central time period or style. Each group will be asked to provide an outline of the scene, including all information relating to the video: who's playing which parts; where the filming/taping will take place; what props and costumes are being used and when; etcetera... Group SCHEDULES are due WEDNESDAY , 1/11. In addition, each group is required...

For general information on Chaucer , go to the Geoffrey Chaucer Website from Harvard University. For those interested, here's Tom Hanks (not that Tom Hanks) reading the first eighteen lines of the Prologue in Middle English . There are also readings from the rest of the Prologue and some of the collected tales, as well.