Mr. Sale's AP Lit Blog

Culminating Paper Thesis

2007-04-09T09:50:00.000-06:00

Please post here your proposed thesis for your culminating paper. As we discussed in class, this could also take the form of a "Final Tuesday Writing" question about your big idea. Along with your thesis or question, please list the three or more works of fiction that you plan to use in your paper. Please post your comments by Friday, April 13, 2007.

Slaughterhouse-Five and Tortilla Curtain Book Circles

2007-03-21T08:42:00.000-06:00

Please have at least two members of your book circle comment here about your latest meeting. You should report on the ideas your group discussed, as well as on the quality of your group process. Feel free to record questions your group was unable to answer, as students from the other AP Lit classes will be reading and responding to your comments. When you comment, please include both the title of your book and the pages you read for your last discussion. Please post your comments withing 24 hours after the book circle meeting.

In addition, at least two members of your book circle should visit the blogs of the other AP Lit classes and respond to their comments. Please complete this within 24 hours after the other students post.

http://lkleeman.blogspot.com
http://makovsky3.blogspot.com

Google Docs Workshop

2007-03-01T11:15:00.000-07:00

On March 1st, you had the opportunity to try out GoogleDocs in a writer's workshop situation. I'd really appreciate your feedback on how this went. What did you like about it? What frustrated you? Do you think GoogleDocs is a good tool for workshopping an essay? What do you think of GoogleDocs in general? Do you see other ways it might be useful to you? How might a tool like this change the way we write, think, interact?

Beloved -- Middle Third

2007-02-28T11:22:00.000-07:00

Post your comments about the middle third (about pages 90 through 190) of Toni Morrison's Beloved here. Also, feel free to respond to others' comments as we continue reading.

Beloved -- 1st Third

2007-02-15T14:32:00.000-07:00

Post your comments about the first third (about the first 90 pages) of Toni Morrison's Beloved here. Also, feel free to respond to others' comments as we continue reading.

Found Poems

2007-02-01T11:28:00.000-07:00

Feel free to post here the found poem you created in class on Thursday, February 1.

Portrait of the Artist -- Chapters 4 and 5

2007-01-31T10:57:00.000-07:00

Post your comments about the last two chapters of the novel here. This would be a good place, once you've finished the book, to record your final thoughts about motifs and repeated symbols that have persisted throughout the book, and to try to formulate a theme.

Portrait of the Artist -- Chapter 3

2007-01-30T20:19:00.000-07:00

If you have further thoughts about chapter 3 of James Joyce's A Potrait of the Artist as a Young Man, please post them here.

Portrait of the Artist -- Ch. 1 and 2

2007-01-24T14:47:00.000-07:00

If you have ideas to express about James Joyce's A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, please post them here. You could expand upon the class discussion, post an original comment, or respond to a classmate's blog comment. Comments on this post should focus on chapters 1 and 2 of the novel.

Metaporphosis

2006-12-12T10:35:00.000-07:00

Post your comments about Kafka's "Metamorphosis" here.

Crime and Punishment

2006-10-13T09:34:00.000-06:00

If you have comments that you didn't get to share in class discussion, go ahead and post them here. You might pose questions about details that mystify you, or offer insights about characters, scenes or symbols. Keep in mind that you must identify a significant motif or symbolic character to trace through the novel and write about when we finish. In addition, you might consider the list of prereading questions below.

1. What is the good life?
2. What is a good person?
3. Why do people suffer?
4. Why is there poverty?
5. How can society eradicate poverty?
6. Is murder always wrong?
7. Can stealing ever be justified?
8. Does a person have free will?
9. Does a power higher than humans control the universe?
10. Is a genius more important than someone with average intelligence? Should a genius be granted special privileges under the law?

King Henry IV, Part 1 -- Final Reflection

2006-10-09T10:30:00.000-06:00

Please consider the following questions and post your final thoughts about the King Henry IV, Part 1 unit. Complete your comment by Thursday, October 12, 2006.

What person in the play do you know best?
With whom do you identify?
What did you learn about yourself in doing Henry IV, Part 1?
What do you think of this play in comparison with other Shakespeare plays you have read?
What did you think of the way we studied this play?
What did you think of doing the reading journal on the blog? (Keep in mind that you still would have done a reading journal if we hadn’t used the blog – you just would have done it on paper.)
What suggestions would you make for this unit?

King Henry IV -- Act 5, Scene 1 and Instructions

2006-10-03T11:11:00.000-06:00

Acting assignments for Act 5:
The Court -- Scene 1
The Rebels -- Scene 2
Combined Group -- Scenes 3 and 4
The Pubcrawlers -- Scene 5

You will blog about each of the three scenes in which you do not act. All three will be original comments this time -- no response to another student's comment required (but if you see one that interests you, by all means, go ahead and respond).

Post a comment about Scene 1 here if you are a member of the Rebels, the Pubcrawlers, or the Combined group.

King Henry IV -- Act 5, Scene 2

2006-10-03T11:10:00.000-06:00

Post a comment about Scene 2 here if you are a member of the Court, the Pubcrawlers, or the Combined group.

King Henry IV -- Act 5, Scenes 3 and 4

2006-10-03T11:08:00.000-06:00

Post a comment about Scene 4 or 5 here if you are a member of the Court, the Rebels, or the Pubcrawlers.

King Henry IV -- Act 5, Scene 5

2006-10-03T11:07:00.000-06:00

Post a comment here about Scene 5 if you are a member of the Court, the Rebels, or the Combined group.

Henry IV, Act IV, Scene 1 and Instructions

2006-09-27T10:23:00.000-06:00

Pub Crawlers and Courtiers: Please post your comment about Act IV scene 1 here.

Directions for Act IV posts. All three posts are due Friday, September 29.

Rebels: Read and think about how to perform 4.1. Read and comment on 4.2 and 4.3. Read 4.4, but no need to post a comment about that scene.
Pub Crawlers: Read and think about how to perform 4.2. Read and comment on 4.1 and 4.3. Read 4.4, but no need to post a comment about that scene.
Courtiers (You will perform a rebel scene): Read and think about how to perform 4.3. Read and comment on 4.1 and 4.2. Read 4.4, but no need to post a comment about that scene.

All groups: Read the comments on Mr. Kleeman's class blog, Act IV. Post one comment to a student in that class:
http://lkleeman.blogspot.com/

Henry IV, Act IV, scene 2

2006-09-27T10:19:00.000-06:00

Rebels and Courtiers, please comment on Act 4, scene 2. For detailed directions, read the Act 4, scene 1 post. When you finish commenting on this blog, go to Mr. Kleeman's class blog and post a comment to someone in that class.

Henry IV, Act IV, scene 3

2006-09-27T10:14:00.000-06:00

Rebels and Pub Crawlers, post your comment about Act 4 scene 3. See the directions under Act 4, scene 1 for details. When you finish commenting on this page, post a comment to someone on Mr. Kleeman's class blog.

King Henry -- 3.1.1-197 and Instructions

2006-09-19T09:56:00.000-06:00

Please post your comments for Scene 1, lines 1-197 of Act 3 of Henry IV, Part 1 here.

Instructions for Act 3 comments:

Rebels:
Comment on the last half of Scene 1 (lines 198-276) or Scene 2.
Comment on Scene 3.

Court:
Comment on the first half of Scene 1 (lines 1-197).
Comment on Scene 3.

Pub Crawlers:
Comment on the first half of Scene 1 (lines 1-197).
Comment on the last half of Scene 1 (lines 198-276) or Scene 2.

Please complete your first 2 comments by Friday, September 22.

All Groups:Put your third comment on Mrs. Makovsky”s class blog:

http://makovsky3.blogspot.com

You will be responding to one of her students’ comments. Please complete your third comment by Tuesday, September 26.

Blog comment prompts:
1. Summarize the action of the scene.
2. Comment in one sentence on what you think is the significance of this scene. What would the play be like without it?
3. Ask questions about the scene. Has anything in the scene caused you confusion? Ask one of the characters in the scene a question—or ask me a question.
4. Quote lines from the scene that you enjoyed and comment on them.
5. Describe your reactions to a character, action, or idea you confronted in the scene.
6. Talk about the relationships characters have to one another, quoting specific words or phrases to give evidence for your opinion.
7. Pretend you are an actor playing one of the characters in the scene. Get inside that character’s mind. Tell how the character feels about herself, about other characters, about the situation of the scene.
8. Trace a set of images. Do you notice certain images—like night or moon or food or fat—coming up time and time again? Produce a list of citations—every time that your word appears. Then look for patterns. Are the images associated with certain people or places or events? Discuss the impact of your image on the play.
9. Discuss the motifs of robbery and rebellion, or honor and courage, or wholeness (both individual and national) in each “world” of the play.
10. Discuss Hal’s search for role models; how do his companions educate him about his country? How do the three worlds of the play—Court, Rebel, Tavern—converge in him?

King Henry -- 3.1.198-276 and 3.2

2006-09-19T09:46:00.000-06:00

Please post your comments for Scene 1, lines 198-276, and Scene 2 of Act 3 of Henry IV, Part 1 here. (See instructions under the post for Scene 1, lines 1-197.)

King Henry -- Act 3, Scene 3

2006-09-19T09:45:00.000-06:00

Please post your comments for Scene 3 of Act 3 of Henry IV, Part 1 here. (See instructions under the post for "Scene 1, lines 1-197.")

King Henry -- Act 2, Scene 3

2006-09-08T15:05:00.000-06:00

Please post your comment for Scene 3 of Act 2 here.

Instructions for Act 2 blogs:

Everyone read 2.1 and 2.2, but no need to blog about these scenes.

Rebels:
• Read and think about how to perform: Scene 3.
• Blog about scene 4 (blog 1: lines 1-337 {end at Falstaff: “Ah, no more of that Hal an thou lovest me.”}; blog 2, lines 338-end {begin with Hostess: “O Jesu, my lord the Prince –“)

Pub Crawlers:
• Read and think about how to perform Scene 4, lines 1-337 (begin performance with line 115 – Poins: “Welcome, Jack, where hast thou been?”)
• Blog about scene 3 and the second half of scene 4--lines 338-end

Courtiers—There is no Court scene in Act II, so Courtiers will do a tavern scene. You’ll rehearse in the court space and perform in the tavern space. You’ll use the pub-crawlers’ costumes provided by that acting company.
• Read and think about how to perform Scene 4, lines 338-end.
• Blog about scene 3 and Scene 4, lines 1-337.

In addition, All students will comment to another person in the class on the class blog for a total of 3 comments on the Act II class blog.

King Henry -- Act 2, Scene 4, Lines 1-137

2006-09-08T15:03:00.000-06:00

Please post your comment for the first half of Scene 4 of Act 2 here. Instructions are on the Scene 3 post.

King Henry -- Act 2, Scene 4, Lines 138-end

2006-09-08T11:36:00.000-06:00

Please post your comment for the last half of Scene 4 of Act 2 here. Instructions are on the Scene 3 post.

King Henry IV, Part 1 -- Act 1, Scene 1 Reading Blog

2006-09-01T15:44:00.000-06:00

When you have finished reading Act I of King Henry IV, Part 1, please post a reading blog for each of the scenes other than the one your acting troupe is performing. Please comment only on Scene 1 of Act 1 on this post. Be sure to label the entry number that you have selected.

Later, come back to the blog and comment on at least one of your classmates' comments. Be sure to indicate which specific comment you're responding to (the person's name), and comment on the appropriate scene's post.

Please complete all three of your comments before we move on to the next act of the play (in this case, before Tuesday, September 12, 2006)

King Henry IV, Part 1 -- Act 1, Scene 2 Reading Blog

2006-09-01T15:43:00.000-06:00

When you have finished reading Act I of King Henry IV, Part 1, please post a reading blog for each of the scenes other than the one your acting troupe is performing. Please comment only on Scene 2 of Act 1 on this post. Be sure to label the entry number that you have selected.

Later, come back to the blog and comment on at least one of your classmates' comments. Be sure to indicate which specific comment you're responding to (the person's name), and comment on the appropriate scene's post.

Please complete all three of your comments before we move on to the next act of the play (in this case, before Tuesday, September 12, 2006)

King Henry IV, Part 1 -- Act 1, Scene 3 Reading Blog

2006-09-01T10:28:00.000-06:00

When you have finished reading Act I of King Henry IV, Part 1, please post a reading blog for each of the scenes other than the one your acting troupe is performing. Please comment only on Scene 3 of Act 1 on this post. Be sure to label the entry number that you have selected.

Later, come back to the blog and comment on at least one of your classmates' comments. Be sure to indicate which specific comment you're responding to (the person's name), and comment on the appropriate scene's post.

Please complete all three of your comments before we move on to the next act of the play (in this case, before Tuesday, September 12, 2006)

Crucial Odyssey Questions

2006-08-25T09:38:00.000-06:00

Before class Monday, August 28, please post one question about Homer's Odyssey -- something that you really want to know about the epic before we complete our discussion and have to write about it. It would expedite the discussion process if you would review your classmates' comments before you come to class.

Summer Reading

2006-08-15T20:57:00.000-06:00

Along with The Odyssey, you read another book this summer to prepare for your first independent study. Please post a few comments about this other book. This doesn't need to be an analysis (you get to do that later), but rather your gut-level response. Give the title of the book and explain: What did you think of it? What details struck you? Would you recommend it to your classmates? Let your voice come through as you comment. Then, if you are ready, add some comments about possible thesis ideas. What element might you focus on? What themes did you notice?