Freshmen: Romeo & Juliet Text Link

Click here.

POS Voicethread Links

Jake H | Beck G | Taylor P | Hannah L | Connor R | Doug M | Seth K | Shinn F | Zack S | Derek F | Levi K | Anthony H | Andrew M | Zachary F | Dannaie G | Bobby H | Ashley B | Kayla G | Melanie M | Allison B | Ash L | Jamie W | Nicole M | Natasha M | Matthew L  Steve S. 

Fixed by Matt Litchfield! Blog

The Poetry of Song: Popular Music as a Reflection of Culture

"As the music is, so are the people of the country."

        Turkish Proverb

Type your response to the following prompt as a Word document and be sure to proofread and edit before you paste and post. Check either Billboard or Rolling Stone for the current list of America's top 50 songs. Choose at least 3 songs; avoid any songs you are very familiar with. Listen/study the lyrics to the selected songs.

Consider the subject matter, content and point of view of today's top songs and identify lines which contain poetic merit. What do these songs, as a whole, say about our modern American culture? In particular, what do these songs say about your generation as the greatest consumers of music media? How are gender roles represented in popular music? How is success measured?

Shakespeare: Predestination and the American Dream

As we study William Shakespeare and read Romeo and Juliet in class, consider the following prompt: The concept of predestination is reflected in the work of Shakespeare. The lives of men and women are "mapped out in the stars", and attempts to transcend or disrupt this order, or chain of being, only lead to tragedy. Does belief in predestination exist in some form today? Do we subscribe to a similar or different philosophy? How does predestination relate to, or conflict with, the "American Dream"? How might you categorize the belief systems of our world today? Do you believe that your destiny is mapped out for you, or do you think that you control your own fate?

Freshmen: Learning Style Test

Welcome, freshmen. Please click the link below, complete the learning style assessment, and offer a description of your results as a signed comment to this post.

Learning Style Test 

AP Literature: Beowulf & Chaucer

You will utilize this post to complete an online unit regarding Beowulf and Chaucer. As you complete your work, be sure to save it as a Word or Google Document. This unit will take some time, so be sure to work incrementally and manage your time well. Some students find it helpful to copy and paste this post onto their document for convenience. You will submit your completed unit (as a comment to this post) no later than midnight on Sunday, 9-16. Please be sure to identify which "part" is which. On Monday, I will print, read, and grade your work. Please post it all at once. You will be graded holistically on the + to - scale for 2 quizzes.

 Click here to link to a full-text online translation of Beowulf. I do not expect you to read the entire work, but you must "sample" enough of it to get a feel for Old English and respond to the following:

B1. What is a caesura? Find an example of a caesura from the text and defend your selection (paragraph).
B2. What is kenning? Find 3 examples of kenning and defend your selections (paragraph).
B3. Beowulf is indicative of Old English and is infused with a curious blend of the traditions and values of Anglo-Saxon culture and the rise of Christianity. Do a bit of research regarding the Anglo-Saxons.  Quote and discuss passages from the text that represent this unique dynamic. Use MLA format to cite your sources.

For The Canterbury Tales,

C1: Click here to access the text. Read The Prologue and the Introduction in their entirety. Chaucer will introduce you to each of his pilgrims; choose 3 of them. Discuss how Chaucer characterizes them: their class, appearance, character, etc. (3 paragraphs).
C2: Click here to check out a dope rap version of The Prologue. Describe the attire of the MC's to verify your visit.
C3: Click here to hear an audio recording of The Prologue in Middle English. Describe the narrator's voice and your impressions regarding how pronunciation, accent and emphasis help you decode the passage. 
C4: Click here to access the Pardoner's Tale. Read his tale (lines 375-682).Write a 3-5 paragraph essay in response to the following prompt: How is the Pardoner's Tale, in relation to the Pardoner's persona and role, painfully ironic? How does this irony conflict or complement the irony within the Tale itself? How might you characterize Chaucer's tone as echoed through his juxtaposition of the Pardoner's story and personality? What might we conclude about Chaucer's attitude toward religion and morality?
C5: Click here to access a link to Hieronymous Bosch's painting "The Garden of Earthly Delights". Synthesis prompt: Bosch is a Dutch painter who lived and worked shortly after the publication of the Tales. You will be able to zoom in a bit. Examine the triptych and respond to the following questions in paragraph form. 1. What scenes are being depicted in each panel? 2. Create a conversation (RAFT style) between Chaucer and the Pardoner as they discuss the image (particularly the right panel).