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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.
Please take note that I have moved the due date of the 1984 revision to Monday, September 9. Both sections will submit on this day. You’ll need to submit a hard copy of the essay to my office by 3:30 PM. You must also post to turnitin.com. The essay should be 1000 words with an introduction and an attempt at a conclusion. I expect to see your thesis and both body paragraphs heavily revised based on my feedback and the classroom instruction. Most students will want to add a third body paragraph depending on the choice of topic.
cycle 2, class 3 9/3, 9/4
Trimble on “Readability”
We’ll also look at a few model body paragraphs. I’d like to re-teach you how to properly embed your quotations and then get you to move away from following up your quotes with the phrase, “This shows that…”
How do you extend the elaboration in your commentary?
cycle 2, class 4 9/5,9/6
Today is yet 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.
I’ll also show you how you might write an introduction.
HOMEWORK:
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.
Please remember that there is a quiz on the vocabulary words from Beowulf at the beginning of our next class.
cycle 2, class 5 9/6,9/9
We’ll begin today with a vocabulary quiz on the words from Beowulf. This quiz will also contain a question or two about the first 22 minutes of the Michael Wood documentary above.
After the quiz: Around whose memory do we collectively rally? About whose memory do we collectively tell stories? This is what’s at the heart of Beowulf, a poem that delves into the heroes and leaders of a culture far away from ours in time and place.
An introduction to British Literature: 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.
I’ll give you some of the core subjects raised by the poem: heroism, courage, memory, kingship, material possession, goodness and evil. Then we’ll read the first 85 lines together in class.
HOMEWORK:
I'd like you to read lines 86-490 of Beowulf. Question to keep in mind while reading:
What does the poem seem to be defining as good kingship and the heroic ideal in this particular social structure?
Take us to THE PASSAGE: Please come to class with at least one passage you found that develops the question above. We'll start with your passages in our next class.
CYCLE 3, CLASS 1 9/10, 9/11
We’ll begin today by looking at the passages that you found that you thought best developed the central question from the night’s reading: What does the poem seem to be defining as good kingship and the heroic ideal in this particular social structure? We’ll construct a list of core values and quotations together on the board.
Why is memory so important to the Anglo-Saxons?
Then we’ll continue reading together to line 709, stopping just before Grendel strikes. Let’s add to our list other important aspects of Anglo-Saxon warrior culture: (ring-giving, wergeld, formal boast)
HOMEWORK:
I’d like you to finish the episode with Grendel, lines 710-873. Pick up again at 924 and stop at 1061 just before the saga of Finn. Finish with lines 1158-1250, stopping just before the attack of Grendel’s mother.
CYCLE 3, CLASS 2 9/11, 9/13
Kubus out sick
CYCLE 3, CLASS 3 9/13, 9/16
It’s not Halloween yet, but today I’ll give you a mini-lecture: A brief history of MONSTERS and why humans have imagined them since the beginning of time.
Where does Grendel fall within this history of monsters? What does he represent within the narrative?
HOMEWORK:
Read Beowulf, lines 1251-1382. Just read and enjoy with the context of my brief history of monsters.
CYCLE 3, CLASS 4 9/17, 9/18
Today we’ll discuss the beginning of the episode with Grendel’s mother, Beowulf’s final task before the poem fast-forwards to his old age as king of the Geats.
We will also read aloud together as many of lines 1383-1904 as we can. Anything we do not cover you will be responsible for finishing by our next class.
HOMEWORK:
Prepare for a short vocabulary quiz on the words from Gardner’s Grendel.
CYCLE 3, CLASS 5 9/18, 9/19
Vocabulary Quiz on the words from Gardner’s Grendel
Today is our final day to discuss Beowulf. Sadly, we won’t have time to finish the poem, but you’re encouraged, if you really took to it, to take it to its dramatic conclusion with the dragon.
cycle 3, special order 9/23
Sentence level writing BOOT CAMP, DAY 1
Next time we will have our first series of Harkness discussions. We’ll use the Harkness model for our study of John Gardner’s novel, Grendel. This is most likely something that you’re not used to, but I will walk you through every step of the way. These discussions will be graded on a daily basis. The average of those six discussion grades will be a 100-point major grade for the semester. I will lead the first couple of discussions, but then you will be randomly called upon at the beginning of subsequent classes to lead the discussion.
HOMEWORK:
Read Chapters 1 and 2 of Gardner’s Grendel, pages 5-29. What are your first impressions of Grendel? How does what happens at the end of Chapter Two change him?
CYCLE 4, CLASS 1 9/24, 9/25
Gardner, Grendel Harkness Discussion —> Kubus leads
HOMEWORK:
Read Chapters 3 and 4 of Gardner’s Grendel, pages 30-56. How does Grendel see humans? Is he right?Why are we never allowed to see a pure Grendel? What is Grendel’s opinion of his mother?
CYCLE 4, CLASS 2 9/25, 9/27
Gardner, Grendel Harkness Discussion —> Student leads
HOMEWORK:
Read Chapters 5 and 6 of Gardner’s Grendel, pages 57-90. What is your opinion of Unferth on the novel? How is it different from his persona in Beowulf? Next time, one of you will be randomly called upon to lead the discussion!
CYCLE 4, CLASS 3 9/27, 9/30
Gardner, Grendel Harkness Discussion —> Student leads
“The Twelve Traps in John Gardner’s Grendel”
HOMEWORK:
Read Chapters 7 and 8 of Gardner’s Grendel, pages 91-124. Has Grendel’s decision to wage war brought him satisfaction? What is your impression of Hrothulf? Is Red Horse a good or evil influence?
CYCLE 4, CLASS 4 10/1, 10/2
Gardner, Grendel Harkness Discussion —> Student leads
HOMEWORK:
Read Chapters 9 and 10 of Gardner’s Grendel, pages 125-150. How does Ork’s view of religion affect Grendel? How does it affect the meaning of the novel? Why is Grendel so affected by the Shaper’s death?
what's due?
1984 Revision - 9/09
Here are my grading notes from the 1984 drafts.
Beowulf Vocabulary Quiz - 9/06, 9/09 Damien’s Quizlet
Grendel Vocabulary Quiz - 9/18, 9/19
Beowulf Writing Assignment - 9/20, 9/23
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
Listen to the pronunciation of the Old English opening lines of Beowulf, then follow along as he translates into Present Day English for ease of understanding, reception, and memorization.
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
