Assignment for Friday, Sept. 29 (Day 20 of 84)

Prior to class:

Read to page 279 (using downloaded copy of the Fagles translation we have been reading in class).  Those who were for the whole class have already done this.

Respond to the following prompts by using Kami to enter notes in the appropriate places on your copy of the text:
1. p. 267, lines 120-122: Explain the dramatic irony present in Creon's comment.
2. pp. 270 - 272: Choose and comment on an image that helps convince the reader that conditions in Thebes are very serious.
3. Page 273, lines 269 - 279: What tone does Oedipus take toward the murderer?  Identify a brief quote that provides evidence of his tone.
4. Page 274. lines 300-306, Explain the dramatic irony present in these lines.
5. Page 275:  What physical handicap does Tiresias have?  Why is this ironic?  Why might a person with this handicap have this role in Thebes?
6. Page 276:  Why does Oedipus become angry with Tiresias?  How does this heighten the dramatic irony?


During class on Friday (Complete as homework if you do not complete in class):

I.  Read pp. 279 - 294, which is the end of this section (but not the end of the play). 
     (The next section of Oedipus Rex is here.  We will begin reading this version on page 82 on Monday).
II. Use Kami to annotate your downloaded pdf copy of the text in response to the following.

1. Page 278.  In your opinion, why does Tiresias finally speak the blunt truth to Oedipus?  How does Oedipus react when he does this?

2. Page 278.  What does Oedipus believe about Tiresias and why?

3. Page 279:  Oedipus looks to blame others and to discredit them.  Find two examples of specific evidence of these efforts to discredit.  (Lines 432 - 459).

4. Page 280:  Tiresias says important things here.  Choose one important sentence, type it out, and make a comment.

5. Page 281:  Why do you suppose that Tiresias speak in riddles?  What would happen if he spoke more directly?

6. Page 282 - 283:  Summarize in 2 - 3 sentences what the chorus says about the situation.

7. Page 285.  What charges have been brought against Creon?  What is his reaction to these charges?

8. Page 286, Line 214:  What character flaw in Oedipus is shown here?

9. Page 289:  What role is played by Jocasta here?  What role is played by the Chorus?

10.  Page 294:  Choose a key quote from this page and write a brief comment.

[The above prompts are on Google Classroom and also in a Google document here.]

Assignment for Thursday 9/27

Make sure you have viewed both slideshows.  We watched the first one in class on Tuesday, but even if you were present in class, you might find it helpful to review it.

Greek Theatre (slideshow)

The Theater of Ancient Greece -- An Intro. to Oedipus Rex (slideshow)

Oedipus Rex Resources

The Riddle of the Sphinx:
The Sphinx stopped travelers on the road to Thebes and posed them a riddle. If they answered wrong, they died. The hero Oedipus was asked the following question: "What walks on four legs in the morning, two legs at noon and three at close of day?"  Click here for the answer.

Oedipus Rex, Robert Fagles, translation Part 1
Oedipus Rex, Robert Fagles translation, Part 2 (begin on page 82)

Oedipus Tyrannus, modern translation

Greek Theatre (slideshow)

The Theater of Ancient Greece -- An Intro. to Oedipus Rex (slideshow)

The Story of Oedipus (Animated cartoon)

Tragedy Unit Overview & Expectations

Assignment for Friday, Sept. 21

1. Contribute a quote to the quote bank.  See Google Classroom.
     (Feel free to take a quote or two as well).

2.  Open the Google Classroom TFA Essay Template.  Personalize the header information and remove the works cited section at the end.  Begin drafting your essay.  The goal is to come to class with a draft that includes a thesis and 3 or more body paragraphs.  Those who have soccer games tonight may get less done and may need to catch up on the weekend!

Things Fall Apart  Interpretive Essay Timetable

--prior to Wednesday:  read and collect quotes

--Wednesday.  

• Write working thesis
• Create outline
• Search for and select quotes
• Begin drafting essay

--Thursday

• Draft essay & conferences

--Friday

• Revise essay
• Peer conferences
• Further revisions & teacher conferences

--Monday, Sept. 25

• Outside of class teacher conferences as needed.

--Tuesday, Sept. 26 -- TFA Interpretive Essay Due

• quotes/double-entry journal
• rough draft including evidence of peer conference
• final draft

TFA Interpretive Essay -- Resources

Essay Guidelines

Writing an Interpretive Essay / Literary Analysis -- General Resources
Purdue Owl, Writing a Literary Analysis (slideshow)
Roane State Owl, Literary Analysis
Bucks.edu, How to Write an Analysis

Assignment:for Wednesday
Write down 3 more quotes in your double-entry journal.
Complete reading Things Fall Apart.

Plan for Friday, Sept. 15

--Pretest yourself on basic AP English vocabulary by completing the Vocabulary.com activity here
--Continue "unlocking" the Yeats poem, "Second Coming"
--Intro. to Things Fall Apart Interpretive Essay.
--Discuss Things Fall Apart, Chapters 9 & 10, based on student discussion topics.
--Read Things Fall Apart, pp. 95 - 135

Upcoming
1. Complete reading TFA, (24 chapters, 209 pp.) for Wednesday.
2. Basic AP Poetry terms can be reviewed and practiced in a list here.

Things Fall Apart Resources

Assignment for Wednesday, Sept. 13

Read Things Fall Apart, Chapters 5 and 6.
Write 3 quotes from the reading.  (To help fuel your comments later,
you might choose quotes that you have a strong emotional reaction to.)
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Things Fall Apart online

Chinua Achebe biography

Chinua Achebe on Nigeria & Africa 50 years later (video)

Premium Times Nigeria (Nigerian newspaper online)
The Guardian (Nigerian newspaper online)

William Butler Yeats, "The Second Coming"  (poem)

Gender Role Test (Take the test once for yourself.  If you have time, take it again for Okonkwo).
-------------------------------------------------------

"Turning and turning in the widening gyre   

The falcon cannot hear the falconer; 

Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold; 

Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world . . . "

                        --from Yeats, "The Second Coming"

Assignment for Monday, Sept. 11

1. Read Things Fall Apart, pp. 3 - 15.
2. Write down 3 quotes.  The quotes can be 1 - 3 sentence excerpts.  Include the page number for each.  Your reasons for choosing specific quotes may vary. \

During class on Monday, I will ask you to comment on the quotes you have chosen.

Daily Plan: Thursday, Sept. 7

1. World Shortest Political Quiz -- (A) As a member of the "great WE"  (B) As Ayn Rand.

2. Discuss reader biographies.  What do we have in common as readers?  How do we differ?  How have we changed as readers over time?

2. Return Anthem interpretive paragraphs with individual and general comments.

3. Anthem open discussion

• which interpretive approaches are most revealing here?
• what is the most powerful theme?  To what extent is that theme important today?  Rate the effectiveness of the book in communicating that theme.
• other insights, questions, complaints, and controversies.

Upcoming:

A timed in-class essay which explains how Rand's use of point of view is important to the total effect of the novel.  Scoring criteria will include*:

--specific and ambitious thesis statement

--ample supporting evidence

--include two or more quotes

--include one or more additional specific examples

--correct use of citations

--use of literary present

*to be refined and updated.

Assignment for Thursday

Assignment for Thursday, Sept. 7:

Write a short (two-thirds page to one page) biography of yourself as a reader.  Feel free to include both high points and low points.  Tell the story of how you got to be the reader you are today.

Anthem Resources

Anthem (online version)

Online lectures about Anthem

Interpretive Strategies
Another briefer explanation of interpretive strategies is here.

Online children's stories for practice with interpretive strategies:

• "The Wiener Dog Magnet"
• "Invisible Alligators"

World's Shortest Political Quiz

Assignment for Wednesday, Sept. 6:
--Complete reading Anthem for Wednesday's class.
To be completed in-class on Wednesday:
--Write a one-paragraph interpretation of Anthem using the interpretive strategy of your choice.  Begin your paragraph with a one-sentence statement about the meaning of Anthem.  Then support your statement with evidence from the text and/or from outside research. (Biographical and historical strategies often require outside research).  Include at least one page number as a parenthetical reference.  (If you use an outside source, also provide an informal reference [author and title] for that.)  Be sure to select evidence appropriate to the interpretative strategy you have chosen.

Welcome to AP English Literature and Composition!

About AP and About the Course:

The College Board:  Advanced Placement English Literature & Composition

• Reasons to Take AP
• Course Description
• Course Overview