Senior Semester Exam: English 12

The semester exam will be a comprehensive test on Shakespeare's Macbeth.

7th Period Senior Project Update

Several students chose not to submit the required rough draft by the end of 7th period Thursday. I stayed after class to help those who needed assistance and accepted those students' papers at the dismissal bell.

I have checked my e-mail account(s)for submissions and, sadly, have found none as of the time of this post.

Each of you needs to be aware that the grade "0" (zero) has been recorded for the rough draft if you did not submit the required document.

Be prepared to revise the rough draft this week, along with creating the PowerPoint presentation or story board.

EVERYTHING is due this Friday.

English 12 7th Period Senior Project Information

Students have worked all week putting together the first rough draft of the senior project paper. I have allowed class time for typing text, locating sources, asking questions, and getting help. I have provided detailed instructions for setting up the pages in correct MLA format.
Some students are still working from a basic thesis statement and have not completed an introduction or a conclusion. I have instructed them to enter all information from all sources (minimum of three) into a Microsoft Word document that is saved to our server at school. The students also can save the information to a jump drive, floppy disc, or CD so that they can work on the paper at home. In addition, a student may send me his or her paper for questions via an attachment to my school e-mail bkcall@access.k12.wv.us. Also, a student can e-mail a word document as an attachment to himself or herself at home. Students should have already begun planning the PowerPoint presentation or story board. This component and the final draft of the paper are due at the end of next week (March 21). I have been taking daily grades on the progress each student is making. A final rough draft is due Thursday (March 13). Under no circumstances will I accept a rough draft later than Thursday at the end of 7th period English 12.

Term Paper Guide: English 12 7th Period

Paragraph #1
Find an interesting situation, quote, fact, or other “hook” to introduce your topic. Spend four or five sentences developing this information so that it leads logically to the thesis statement that will be the final sentence in the first paragraph.

Paragraph #2
Begin the first body paragraph with a simple transition (first, to begin with, initially, etc.) that bridges between the introductory paragraph and the body paragraph that states and develops your first point. This paragraph should be somewhere between five and eight sentences in length and must contain at least one parenthetical citation. Introduce the citation with a phrase such as “According to …” or “(Source’s name) states … .” Use MLA format in all parenthetical citations.

Paragraph #3
Begin the second body paragraph with a simple transition (second, next, in addition to [point number 1], etc.) that bridges between the first body paragraph and the second body paragraph that states and develops your second point. This paragraph should be somewhere between five and eight sentences in length and must contain at least one parenthetical citation. Introduce the citation with a phrase such as “According to …” or “(Source’s name) states … .” Use MLA format in all parenthetical citations.

Paragraph #4
Begin the third body paragraph with a simple transition (third, finally, last, etc.) that bridges between the second body paragraph and the third body paragraph that states and develops your third point. This paragraph should be somewhere between five and eight sentences in length and must contain at least one parenthetical citation. Introduce the citation with a phrase such as “According to …” or “(Source’s name) states … .” Use MLA format in all parenthetical citations.

Paragraph #5
Begin the final paragraph with a simple transition (in conclusion, to sum up, all in all, etc.). Restate the three points you have covered, rewording them in order not to sound too repetitive. Draw a conclusion about your thesis. This paragraph should be somewhere between five and eight sentences in length.

Works Cited Page
Using MLA format, list all required information about your sources. List the sources alphabetically by the author’s last name. If your source does not have an author (be sure to examine the book or article closely, and ask Mrs. Crum or me for help), list the source alphabetically by the first important word in the title.

PLATO Test and Senior Project Reminder

This is a reminder to review for the PLATO poetry lesson test that will be administered Monday, March 3, to 7th period English 12.

4th period's English 102 poetry test is scheduled(once again!)for Monday. 4th period's PLATO test will be administered Tuesday if students cannot complete both tests Monday.

Any time left at the end of the period Monday will be devoted to information on the paper component of the senior project.

The half-day for students has been changed from Monday to Wednesday.

I hope to have the computer lab reserved Tuesday for working on the paper both 4th and 7th periods, so be sure to bring rough drafts and all resources.

Senior Project Rough Draft

For those of you who got a freebie today because of the two-hour delay, I expect your rough draft tomorrow.

For those of you who either turned in the rough draft early or turned it in today as required,congratulations for having met your responsibility.

PLATO Poetry Notes Study Guide

Study Guide
Poetry Test (PLATO)

The answers to this study guide can be found in the assessments and tutorials.

1. How is poetry different from prose?
2. Know when words rhyme. Look at some examples from the lesson and be able to determine if a few lines of poetry rhyme.
3. Know the definition of rhyme scheme.
4. Know the definition of free verse. Look at some examples from the lesson and be able to determine if a few lines of poetry are free verse or rhymed verse.
5. Know the rhyme scheme of a limerick and recognize a limerick.
6. Know how to mark the rhyme scheme of a poem. It is easy!
7. Be able to recognize an example of the following: alliteration, metaphor, onomatopoeia, personification, and simile.
8. Know the marking (accented and unaccented syllables) of the following metric feet: anapestic, dactylic, iambic, spondaic, and trochaic.
9. Know some symbols for old age in the symbolism lesson.
10. Look closely at “The Bean Eaters” questions for extra credit.

Resource Site for Senior Project and Poetry Assignment

http://facstaff.unca.edu/bhobby/handouts.html

Here is a pretty good site.

Scroll down for examples of MLA citations (that go in your paper) and a sample MLA works cited page (the final page where an alphabetical list of sources appears).

I just remembered that this site has some great links to poetry information and PowerPoint creation tips.

English 102 Essay--Hamlet

Don't forget to turn in the Hamlet essay to Turnitin.com

Senior Project Rough Draft Rubric

The rough draft of your senior project paper is due Tuesday, February 19.

Rubric

Time in class spent on task and rough draft turned in on due date 5 pts.

Clear statement of topic 5 pts.

All three Segments (Section/Points to be covered) must feature the following:

Clearly stated point 1 5 pts.
Clearly stated point 2 5 pts.
Clearly stated point 3 5 pts.


Bulleted notes point 1 10 pts.
Bulleted notes point 2 10 pts.
Bulleted notes point 3 10 pts.


Title of source point 1 5 pts.
Title of source point 2 5 pts.
Title of source point 3 5 pts.

Availability of source 1 10 pts.
Availability of source 2 10 pts.
Availability of source 3 10 pts.

Total points available 100 pts.

Poetry Assignment Preview

We soon will begin our study of poetry.

If you want to take a peek of these lessons, log on to SASinSchool

http://www.sasinschool.com/ProductEntrance/Login/login.jsp

The User Name is Tigerstudent.

Use the Quicklaunch to explore Lesson 1070 and Lesson 546.

Update: Assignment/Parent-Teacher Conference

Wednesday

Because school is closed today, the parent-teacher conference scheduled for this afternoon will be rescheduled.

Due to our not having had class today, I am moving all assignments up one day. In addition, I am cancelling the Hamlet essay assignment for English 12 7th period.

All other assignments remain the same but are due or will take place one day later than originally planned.

English 12--7th Period--Rough Draft Guidelines

The rough draft of the senior project must include the following. I will distribute a rubric prior to the assignment's due date.

1. Statement of topic
2. Segment 1: first idea to be discussed; bulleted notes; title of source book, periodical, or Internet article attached/available for teacher examination
3. Segment 2: second idea to be discussed; bulleted notes; title of source book, periodical, or Internet article attached/available for teacher examination
4. Segment 3: third idea to be discussed; bulleted notes; title of source book, periodical, or Internet article attached/available for teacher examination

Hamlet Final activities due Dates

English 12-H

Wed.: beginning of class: Act IV and Act V blog questions and handouts due
Wed.: work day for book jackets
Thurs.: beginning of class: book jackets due
Thurs.: work day for essay
Fri.: NO CLASS

Mon.: library day for senior project?
Tues.: essays due
Wed.: final Hamlet exam

English 12

Wed.: end of class: Act IV and Act V blog questions and handouts due
Thurs.: work day for book jackets
Fri.: NO CLASS

Mon.: beginning of class: book jackets due
Tues.: final Hamlet test
Thurs: end of class: essays due

Updated Initial Senior Project Schedule

Matewan High School Senior Project Schedule (under construction)

Tuesday, February 5—library research; exploration of potential topics and sources for senior project

Tuesday, February 12—library research; exploration of potential topics and sources for senior project

Wednesday, February 13—final submission/approval of topic; examination/approval of potential book/internet/periodical sources; assignment of individual students’ senior project due date

Wednesday, February 13—parent/teacher conference (3:00-5:15); opportunity for parents and seniors to discuss senior project; distribution of senior project rubrics

Monday, February 18—rough draft due of senior project paper component(sources MUST be included in text of paper, even if in very rough format)

Tuesday, February 19—computer lab reserved for senior project PowerPoint component or class time reserved for senior project story board component (student choice with instructor’s approval)

Interesting Hyperlinks for Hamlet

http://67.104.146.36/english/Shakespeare/Shindex.html
http://www.cummingsstudyguides.net/xShakeSph.html#top
http://www.nosweatshakespeare.com/

Here is the one I could not find today:
http://www.pathguy.com/hamlet.htm

These might prove useful, but be careful.

Hamlet Act IV and Act V Questions

Answer the following questions after reading Hamlet Act IV and Act V.
Use specific words/phrases from the text and explain your answer.

1. Why doesn’t the king confront Hamlet immediately after the death of
Polonius?
2. How does Hamlet use humor as a kind of weapon when he faces Rosencrantz
and Guildenstern?
3. What does Hamlet decide after his encounter with a captain in Fortinbras’
army?
4. What is the subject of Ophelia’s songs?
5. Who becomes Claudius’s new ally in the plot against Hamlet? Why?
6. According to Gertrude at the end of the act, what happens to Ophelia? (
7. How is the political situation changed by the death of Polonius and the removal
of Hamlet from the scene?
8.“We know what we are, but know not what we may be.” What do these words
mean, and how to they relate to Ophelia, Hamlet, and Gertrude?

Act V

9. What do the Gravediggers discuss as they go about their work?
10. Why is Ophelia denied the complete rites of the church?
11. Who is Yorick? How does Hamlet speak of him?
12. How does Hamlet take care of Rosencrantz andGuildenstern?
13. How does the king propose to rid himself of Hamlet?
14.What effect does the Gravedigger’s scene have on the tone of the play?
15.Based on his conversation with Horatio, what can you tell about Hamlet’s
feelings toward Laertes?
16.What does Gertrude do at the end of the duel scene? Why does she do this?

In addition, complete the handouts for Act IV and Act V. (Distributed in class)

Senior Project

I am issuing an open invitation for all seniors and their parents to attend Matewan High School's open house from 3:00 to 5:15 on Wednesday, February 13.

During the open house, parents, students, and teachers can discuss concerns about grades, the senior project, possible attendance of summer school, and graduation.

Students have begun research for the senior project, a requirement for graduation in the state of West Virginia.

In order to meet each concerned parent, please have a list of your concerns prepared before attending the open house. Each parent will have five minutes to discuss his or her child's progress.

Hamlet Act III questions

Answer the following questions while reading Act III.

Answers to #1,2,3,6,10,13, and the vocabulary words' definitions are due Monday.

Also, be sure to complete the comparison/contrast handout I have already distributed.

1. How is Ophelia being used by Claudius and Polonius to deal with their problem with Hamlet?
2. List at least two ideas about death expressed in Hamlet's "To be, or not to be..." soliloquy.
Why might Hamlet be thinking like this at this point in the play?
3. What decision does the king make after observing Hamlet and Ophelia?
4. List three pieces of advice Hamlet offers the visiting actors.
5. Why does Hamlet not take his revenge during Claudius's prayer?
6. Have you changed your opinion about Hamlet since the beginning of the play? Why or why
not?
7. What qualities does Hamlet admire in Horatio? Refer to the handout for comparisons between
Hamlet's friendship with Horatio and his friendship with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern.
8. Act III always marks the climax, or turning point, in a Shakespearean tragedy. During this
act, the hero's fate is decided. What do you think is the turning point in this act? Why is this
moment so crucial to the plot?
9. Find one or two similarities and differences between Hamlet's dialogues with Ophelia and
with Gertrude.
10. How does Hamlet's state of mind change from when he talks to himself (in the soliloquy) to
when he talks to Ophelia?
11. In the famous scene with Gertrude, Hamlet is sometimes described as "overdoing it." Do you
agree or disagree? Why? What evidence can you find that shows Gertrude knew nothing of
Claudius's murder or Old Hamlet?
12. Why will Hamlet's killing Polonius prove to be a costly mistake? How can it help his enemy,
Claudius, and how might it affect the other characters?
13. Ophelia is being used both by Claudius and Polonius to solve their problems with Hamlet?
How might behavior such as this, by government officials, be reported and received today if
it were leaked to the press?
14. What do you think about some critics' emphasis of the theme of the relationship of thought
to action when they claim that Hamlet spends too much time thinking about his problems
and not enough time acting on ways to solve them?
15. The dumb show (a scene of play acted in pantomime with out dialogue) is one of the most
famous scenes in literature. Briefly describe what happens in it.
16. --20. Define the following: turbulent, insolence, judicious, clemency, primal

Final Hamlet essay topics

Choose a Hamlet final activity essay topic from those listed below.

In addition to the essay requirement for each grade level, stay tuned for the other required activites.

All essays must be submitted to Turn-it-in.com

Characters (Choose one of the following groups and compare the characters to each other in terms of their role in furthering [adding to] the action of the play):

• Laertes, Fortinbras, and Horatio (Grade "A" level)
• Claudius and his brother, Old King Hamlet (Grade "B" level)
• Hamlet and Ophelia (Grade "C" level)
• Polonius and Horatio (Grade "B" level)
• Claudius and Hamlet (Grade "C" level)

Imagery (Take one of the following images that recur throughout the text, locate as many of its appearances as possible [Trace the image from its first appearance].Show how Shakespeare develops and enriches the image by varying it until it has an overall meaning for the play):

• poison in the ear (C)
• a mirror ("glass") (B)
• disease and rot (C)
• the sun (B)
• acting and hypocrisy (A)
• madness (B)

A possible topic that does not fall into any of the categories is the following:

Prove that Hamlet is or is not insane. ("B" or "C" level)

Take one of these decisive moments in Hamlet's story and analyze it in terms of Hamlet's own philosophic view, in terms of his goal of revenge, and in terms of today's moral standards. (These aspects will comprise the three body paragraphs of a five-paragraph essay). Discuss whether his action is justifiable and practical by each set of terms. All essays must feature specific support details from the text, so research how one correctly cites text in blank verse. All "A" level.

• the confrontation with Ophelia (the "nunnery scene")
• his behavior during the play scene
• the killing of Polonius
• his treatment of Gertrude in the closed scene
• his argument with Laertes at the graveyard
• the killing of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern

Hamlet--Act II

Answer the following question on paper.
Turn the answers in Monday at the beginning of class.

1. Who is Reynaldo, and what is his job?
2. What does Ophelia report to her father concerning Hamlet's "antic disposition"?
3. How is Claudius's speech to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern like Polonius"s speech to
Reynaldo? (Tip: remember parallel scenes.)
4. What trap does Polonius set to get Hamlet to reveal what may be on the young man's
(Hamlet's) mind?
5. What is the source of Hamlet's "transformation," according to Polonius?
6. How does Hamlet propose to use the visiting actors in his conflict with Claudius?
7. Which character in Act II impresses you most--either positively or negatively? Support your answer.
8. UPDATE: We will answer this one in class. If you already have attempted the answer, be prepared to offer examples in class. Cite examples of Hamlet's sense of humor in his exchanges with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. In each instance, what is the joke? (Use footnotes and look for explanations on the internet.)
9. Based on information provided in this act, what can you infer about Polonius's character?
10. What examples of madness does Hamlet exhibit? What other explanation might be offered for these behaviors?
11. What reasons can you give for Hamlet's rejection of Ophelia?
12. In what ways does Hamlet discover that "the time is out of joint"? What does that mean?
13. As the plot develops in Act II, several "fishing parties" have been organized: one by Claudius, one by Polonius, and one by Hamlet himself. Whom is each man using, and what information or truth is he seeking?
14. How do the actions in Act II convey the theme of life as theatre (life as a play)? Which characters are not involved in the make-believe? Which characters are "wearing" masks of one kind or another? What kind of act are they putting on?
15. How does America react to the issue of social hierarchy: people belonging to certain classes, with little opportunity to move freely from one level to another through marriage or personal accomplishment? How does the issue of social hierarchy impact certain characters in the play?
Define and know the following vocabulary words: piteous, perusal, brevity, satirical, pastoral.