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cycle 1, class 1 8/15, 8/16
Welcome.
Element of FICTION 1: PLOT in 1984
What makes plot plot rather than merely a series of events? I’ll read you two examples, and then we’ll look at this one. Which of the three is 1984 most similar to? Why? Let’s debate whether 1984 is a good plot or if it’s just too manipulative and misleading.
Brief course introduction and policies; In-class essay instruction
To do before our next class:
1. Register on Turnitin. The Class ID is 21690991. The password is magis. Please use your full first name, last name, and mail.strakejesuit email.
2. Make sure you have the Quizlet app, Google Drive, Google Docs, and Socrative Student loaded on your iPad.
3. Review ALL of the policy page. Familiarize yourself with how the class works. Look through the website to see what's available.
4. During our next class you will write a modified in-class essay (a thesis and two body paragraphs) on 1984. You may use your book and any handwritten notes you have. You will need a charged iPad, too. Have this Google doc ready to go, set up with pristine MLA format, and make sure you know how to upload to turnitin.com from Drive. You must submit by the end of class.
Here are the instructions for the essay: “Choose the topic below that interests you the most. Then respond to that prompt with a thesis and two body paragraphs. I’m looking to see if you can form an idea, if you can distinguish between plot summary and commentary, and how you support your idea with concrete detail from the text. The best essays will be rich in detail, demonstrating a command of the text and its ideas.” You’ll receive the prompts when you arrive in class. Section 08 will have different prompts from Section 02.
Remember that this is JUST A DRAFT. There's no great pressure here. It will count for 30% of the 100 point summer reading assessment. A revision of this draft (worth 70%) will be due on either 09/05 or 09/06 depending on your section; by then you’ll have received my feedback on the draft, and we’ll have had extensive classroom writing instruction.
You are to use no other resources than your text and your own brain. DO NO GOOGLING.
Know that while you’re writing your essay I’ll be coming around to look inside your books to see what kinds of things you do as you read.
cycle 1, class 2 8/16, 8/20
The in-class essay is due at the end of the period to turnitin.com. I’ll be coming around checking your annotations as you write.
Before our next class, watch The School of Life's presentation on the author of our summer reading to the right. We’ll use this in discussion over the next few classes.
cycle 1, class 3 8/20, 8/21
Element of FICTION 2: CHARACTER in 1984
Set outside reading for first semester
Here are my grading notes from your 1984 drafts. We’ll begin going through tomorrow.
Today I'll also introduce the ongoing extra credit assignment.
By our next class, I’d like you to listen to the episode, “Is it 1984 yet?” of the Annotated Podcast found just below.
cycle 1, class 4 8/22, 8/23
Elements of FICTION 3 and 4: SETTING / DETAIL in 1984
Today we'll also look at some of your in-class essays, making sure everyone has a topic worth exploring and a beginning to an answer. Time permitting, we’ll also review, What is a thesis?
Come to our next class having read the editorial, “What 1984 means today” found under 1984 Study Links.
cycle 1, class 5 8/23, 8/26
Elements of FICTION 5 and 6: P.O.V. / THEME in 1984
“What 1984 means today”
cycle 2, class 1 8/27, 8/28
ARGUMENT, DAY 1 - What is the difference between observation and interpretation? We'll use both images and the classroom space to think about the difference between the two.
cycle 2, class 2 8/28, 9/3
ARGUMENT, DAY 2 - Interrogating your idea in the body paragraph: Is what you have an observation or an interpretation? How can you use syntax to ensure you have an idea? We'll look at plenty of sample topic sentences.
By our next class I'd like you to read pages 66-75 of John Trimble's Writing with Style, the finest book that I know on developing a personal writing style. You're welcome and encouraged, of course, to read the entire chapter, but we'll only be discussing 66-75 when we meet next. This is one of the more important things you'll read all year.
cycle 2, class 3 9/3, 9/4
Today is another day for us to work through my writing document and your drafts. Let’s put a few of your drafts on the board to dissect.
By our next class I'd like you to watch the video to the right to the 22:15 minute:second mark. It's a 1-hour documentary--I want you only to watch part of it--produced by the BBC by Michael Wood all about the first text we're going to read this year, Beowulf. It'll supplement my introduction to the poem.
Additionally, you are to begin reading Beowulf. Read lines 1-85, pages 41-3. Note the good qualities of a king as outlined in the early parts of the poem.
cycle 2, class 4 9/5,9/6
An introduction to British Literature and why I think we study it. Why is it so important in the eyes of our school and in my eyes that we should devote an entire year to it? Then we'll move to an introduction to the Anglo-Saxons. Strap in for a history lesson. We'll look at a little bit of Old English and how it has influenced the way we speak today.
We'll pause for a quiz on the Michael Wood Beowulf documentary before beginning our study of the first 85 lines of the poem.
By our next class I'd like you to read lines 86-490 of Beowulf. Questions to keep in mind while reading:
What magnificent work did Hrothgar undertake? Who attacked it, and with what result? How long did the attacks last? What was the response of the Danes? What does Beowulf do when he hears of Hrothgar's problems with Grendel? Whom do the Geats first meet when they arrive in Denmark? What does he do, and what do they do? They next meet Hrothgar's herald. Who is he? What does he tell them? What does he tell Hrothgar? What does Hrothgar respond? Are you surprised that Hrothgar knows Beowulf so well? What does Beowulf tell Hrothgar when he enters? What did Hrothgar do for Beowulf's father?
Take us to THE PASSAGE: Please come to class with at least one passage you found captivating or to contain an odd way of putting an idea. We'll start with your passages in class.
cycle 2, class 5 9/6,9/9
Today is a flex day. Let’s assess where we are and reset. What have we learned so far during these two cycles?
We’ll also take a vocabulary quiz on the words from Beowulf.
what's due?
1984 In-class essay - 08/16, 08/20
1984 Vocabulary Quiz - 08/27, 08/28 Here’s Lowe's Quizlet. Thank him.
1984 Revision - 09/05, 09/06
Here are my grading notes from the 1984 drafts.
Beowulf Vocabulary Quiz - 09/06, 09/09
The Remains of the Day Reading Test - 10/15, 10/17
The Power and the Glory Reading Test - 12/9, 12/10
current text to bring daily
current outside reading
Fall 2019 Outside Reading Assignment
texts to buy now
ONGOING EXTRA CREDIT
Required reading can at times feel like drudgery. And while it's important to do the reading I set for the class, I fully recognize that you'd rather have a say in what it is we read. Unfortunately the freshman curriculum has little student choice built in, so your ongoing extra credit gives you the opportunity to read an outside text in your own time at some point during the semester. I'm very happy to reward you with additional course credit if you take it upon yourself to read a text outside of class and meet with me to discuss it. A few things:
(1) This must be a text you've never read before.
(2) It should be imaginative and of recognized literary merit. The text must be approved beforehand.
(3) The amount of credit awarded is variable depending on the chosen text and how our follow up conversation goes.
(4) While you may read as much as you'd like, I will only award extra credit once per semester.
enjoying literature
Literature's emotional lessons
Authors on the power of literature
How reading makes us more human
STUDYING LITERATURE
"6 reading habits from Harvard"
Achebe, "The Truth of Fiction"
Questions for analyzing novels
Poetry videos
