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Monday, April 8, 2013

Honors English II. The Chosen - Dedication Page Explication

There is a quote on the dedication page of The Chosen by Karl A. Menninger. Reread this quote and explain, in a comment reply, its significance. 

Here is the quote: 

"When a trout rising to a fly gets hooked on a line and finds himself unable to swim about freely, he begins with a fight which results in struggles and splashes and sometimes an escape. Often, of course, the situation is too tough for him. In the same way the human being struggles with his environment and with the hooks that catch him. Sometimes he masters his difficulties; sometimes they are too much for him. His struggles are all that the world sees and it naturally misunderstands them. It is hard for a free fish to understand what is happening to a hooked one." 

Some hints to explicating this quote: 
  • What might being "hooked" symbolize?
  • What does the quote suggest about perseverance? 
  • Why are struggles often misunderstood? 
  • Why would it be difficult for a free "fish" to understand what happens to a hooked one? (i.e. Who are the symbolic "fish?")


Tuesday, March 12, 2013

2nd Block Only. Fictional Narrative Review


Only Second Block students comment on this post! 

To review for your quiz on Friday, use your notes to answer the following for your favorite book, movie, or one episode of your favorite TV show. Be sure your choice has all of these components: 

Title?

  1. protagonist
  2. antagonist
  3. conflict: which kind? 
    • external - man v. man or man v. nature or
    • internal - man v. self or man v. society
  4. epiphany / reversal                                       Numbers 5 - 10 are all PLOT.
  5. exposition
  6. narrative hook / inciting event
  7. rising action
  8. climax
  9. falling action 
  10. resolution

3rd Block Only. Review - Fictional Narrative

Only Third Block students comment on this post! 

To review for your quiz on Friday, use your notes to answer the following for your favorite book, movie, or one episode of your favorite TV show. Be sure your choice has all of these components: 

Title?

  1. protagonist
  2. antagonist
  3. conflict: which kind? 
    • external - man v. man or man v. nature or
    • internal - man v. self or man v. society
  4. epiphany / reversal                                 Numbers 5 - 10 are all PLOT.
  5. exposition
  6. narrative hook / inciting event
  7. rising action
  8. climax
  9. falling action 
  10. resolution

Thursday, February 28, 2013

Honors English II. Magical Realism

Before we delve into the magically real world of Like Water for Chocolate, I want you to do some research on three aspects of the unit: 

1. The genre of magical realism
2. The author Laura Esquivel
3. The book turned film Like Water for Chocolate

Post a comment with 10 facts about the 3 topics above (10 facts total, not 30). Do not copy directly from the person above you. They must be your own words.



Monday, February 25, 2013

3rd Block. AVID Fairy Tale Parodies


Comment with your choice for the fairy tale parody assignment. Everyone must choose a different story unless approved by me!

Check Edmodo to see the expectations for the assignment. 

Remember, this is not just a remake of the original. It is a PARODY, so it should be SATIRICAL! And funny :)


2nd Block. Adv.Comp. Fairy Tale Parodies

Comment with your choice for the fairy tale parody assignment. Everyone must choose a different story unless approved by me!

Check Edmodo to see the expectations for the assignment. 

Remember, this is not just a remake of the original. It is a PARODY, so it should be SATIRICAL! And funny :)


Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Honors English II. Symbolism Project


Symbolism is used in all genres of literature. We discussed obvious symbols in culture such as various flags, the heart, the cross, etc. You must choose one symbol used in our everyday lives. Symbolism is everywhere: brand marketing, food products, restaurants, car names, clothing, TV, film, music, etc. (Our example was Dove soap and chocolate – the symbolism being it promotes a peaceful feeling.) Your topic must be approved by Thursday, 2/21. On Monday, 2/25, you will present your everyday symbol to the class. You are required to submit one page in writing (typed or neatly written in pen) along with some sort of visual aid. Your visual aid could be the product itself or just a picture; a collage or Glogster would work.

To be fair, whoever replies with a comment first containing their symbol idea will win that topic for their project. If someone submits your idea before you do, then you will have to decide on a different symbol. 

On Monday, we will hear about 29 different everyday symbols. 


Monday, February 11, 2013

Honors English II. Child Manipulation


Sierra Leone, Africa (the setting for A Long Way Gone) is not the only place children have been manipulated by adults.  Your job is to research other places in the world where this kind of atrocity has occurred.   In short, child manipulation is a global problem. Moreover, it is an American problem.  It may not be on the same scale as boy soldiers, but one could argue that gang warfare is a quintessential example of the atrocity called child manipulation.


Please post a well-developed paragraph explaining the example you found of child manipulation in the world and a link to any site that gives more information on your example. 

Here are some leads for you:    


Uganda's Invisible Children      

 Children of the Night


Honors Adv. Composition. Feature Article Hunt

The cover of this magazine is advertising a feature article entitled "What makes us human?"  A catchy headline is the key to a good lead and what makes good feature writing. Aren't you intrigued? 


Now that we have introduced the characteristics of a feature article, your job is to find one example and paste a link to it in a comment. Include a brief summary of your article, its headline, and which category of feature article in which yours falls:

Categories of Feature Articles 

  • human interest
  • personality profile (which will look different than a biography)
  • "the best" article
  • trend story
  • "how to" feature
  • past events
  • in-depth informational story
Remember, feature articles should also include some catchy text features like captions, polls, pictures, etc. 

Refer to your packet if you are confused. Happy hunting! 

Example: The title/headline of my article is "Are You Stupid?" It is an in-depth informational story about learning disabilities. Here is the link - http://www.amalnet.k12.il/meida/english/showcase/engi0177.htm

AVID. Feature Article Hunt

Sample Feature Article Written by a High Schooler
Now that we have introduced the characteristics of a feature article, your job is to find one example and paste a link to it in a comment. Include a brief summary of your article, its headline, and which category of feature article in which yours falls:

Categories of Feature Articles 

  • human interest
  • personality profile (which will look different than a biography)
  • "the best" article
  • trend story
  • "how to" feature
  • past events
  • in-depth informational story
Remember, feature articles should also include some catchy text features like captions, polls, pictures, etc. 

Refer to your packet if you are confused. Happy hunting! 

Example: The title/headline of my article is "Are You Stupid?" It is an in-depth informational story about learning disabilities. Here is the link - http://www.amalnet.k12.il/meida/english/showcase/engi0177.htm