English 9 Class Notes
Objectives: Freshmen identified and explained plot, character, setting, and figurative language in a drama.
Freshmen, we did some review work on the second act of our drama over which I quizzed you. You turned-in your work and we watched and discussed the important points of act 2. To summarize the action so far, after Romeo and Juliet pledge their “love” the night before, they arrange to be and are married the next day. This is only a day after Romeo was despairing over Rosaline. That was Sunday, and the title characters are married early Monday afternoon, roughly.
Here’s Franco Zeffirelli’s vision of act 2, scene 4:
Remember to bring the Chain of Events graphic organizer with you next class.
Have a great weekend.
APELC Class Notes
Second and fourth period, nothing different than your peers yesterday. Check their notes for objectives and details.
I talked briefly about the language of race we’ll be discussing soon as we enter the world of Malcolm X and this made me recall an article I came across recently: “Publisher Renames Joseph Conrad Classic The N-word of the Narcissus“. Political correctness gone mad?
Coincidentally, Chinua Achebe famously criticized Conrad in an essay “An Image of Africa: Racism in Conrad’s Heart of Darkness“ for his use of the word “nigger” in the book. Achebe has in turn been criticized (too easily, I think) for the same type political correctness referenced above, but I think that merely betrays an uncritical and uniformed ideological commitment to the traditional (that is, outmoded) preeminence of the Western canon. It’s this kind of high-minded literary self-indulgence (”I’m an artist, you see, so I have a certain license that allows me to express myself in ways that you, the vulgar, can not”) that I believe Achebe may have been railing against.
Finally, and only for those researching shamanism, the works of Carlos Casteneda would be worth looking into. The animists may even find his material useful.
APELC Class Notes
Objectives: APELCers 1) processed a novel, and 2) researched their worldviews.
APELCers, we finished Things Fall Apart today. As I’ve explained, our examination of the text was a convenient entry into the research you’ll be completing this semester. We saw aspects of the Ibo worldview depicted frankly and we witnessed internal strife among its subjects and external clashes with those who hold a very different worldview.
Before we left for the liberry I distributed copies of The Autobiography of Malcolm X. I’m short copies for us all, but I’m in the process of acquiring additional copies. Until thy come in, I’ve asked those of you who can to share with a friend. We’ll begin discussing the life of this most remarkable man next Tuesday so be prepared.
Finally, here’s a fantastic resource for those interested in existential questions―actually, all of you should all be interested in these as they touch on your worldviews and research in some way―that “explores fundamental issues of universe, brain/mind, religion, meaning and purpose through intimate, candid conversations with leading scientists, philosophers, scholars, theologians and creative thinkers of all kind”: Closer to Truth. You might look to these interviews for the media requirements of your research. They are utterly fascinating.
English 9 Class Notes
In my absence today, boys and girls, you were to have finished the second act of Romeo and Juliet on your own. I expected it to be a challenging task, and to encourage your best efforts I promised a quiz over. You should be fine: We’ve already covered the first three scenes, leaving you responsible for only one scene of moderate length and two brief scenes. Read critically and work carefully and you should be fine.
See you Friday.
APELC Class Notes
In my absence, children, you were to have done as your peers yesterday. I’m not sure how far you got, but I’ll check the excellent (I’m sure) report left by your substitute.
I briefly talked about my wishes for my body upon my death yesterday: I’ll be giving myself to a body farm. Here’s a clip from National Geographic I posted last year when read the Mitford text.
See you Friday.
APELC Class Notes
Objectives: APELCers 1) processed a novel, and 2) processed an essay.
First and third period APELCers, today we tackled that penultimate chapters of Things Fall Apart and then we discussed the Mitford text.
I don’t recall who (Sierra?), but one student mentioned an article I also had read and it had to do with journalists and the ethics of covering carnage which you can read here: “Reporters in Haiti blur the lines of ethical journalism”; and another student (Willie?) mentioned an piece about the final journey home of the body of a serviceman which you can read here: “Taking Chance”.
Finally, while looking for a photo essay I viewed last year, I encountered these two interesting texts with cutesy titles: “Funeral science: One business that’s still alive” and “Deadly job? Funeral workers risk cancer”. I guess people are dying to get into the profession. Snap!
English 9 Class Notes
Objectives: Freshmen identified and explained plot, character, setting, and figurative language in a drama.
Freshmen, we continued Romeo and Juliet today, and, with some difficulty, worked our way through scene 3 of act 2 in which the friar chides Romeo and then agrees to marry him to Juliet (but for his own reasons).
I found clips of Mercutio’s Queen Mab speech from act 1 and Romeo and Juliet’s (stomach-turning) balcony scene in act 2, both from Franco Zeffirelli’s film of the play. Compare them to the scenes as we’ve viewed them from the 1976 teleplay; in what ways are they similar, and in what other ways are they different?
See you Wednesday.
APELC Class Notes
Objective: APELCers processed an essay.
And so did we as the objective states, APELCers. I also reviewed the notes rubric that I’ll adhere to from now on, which I’ve posted below:
- Four (97) for copious notes that have been highlighted and effectively organized for review. They include at least three (3) creative ideas for paragraphs and evaluative and connotative practice theses; at least three (3) original and insightful level 2 questions; a detailed t-chart with conscious explanation.
- Three (85) for sufficient notes that have been highlighted and adequately organized for review. They include at least three (3) sound ideas for paragraphs and attendant and aware theses; at least three (3) intelligent level 2 questions; a necessary t-chart with obligatory explanation.
- Two (75) for some notes that have been highlighted for review. They include at least three (3) expected ideas for paragraphs and standard theses; at least three (3) customary level 2 questions; a t-chart with requisite explanation.
- One (65) for some notes that have been highlighted for review. They include at least three (3) attempted ideas for paragraphs and uninspired theses; at least three (3) basic level 2 questions; a t-chart with insufficient explanation.
Those of you worried about these initial grades, remember that both your first day quiz and these notes have been designated “Can be dropped” in my gradebook so as not to hurt those who did poorly (in the long run) and to reward those who did well.
Remember that your revisions and cover sheets of timed-writing 5 are due tomorrow and the next day by the end of tutoring.
- Writers must have conferred with me over their initial paper to submit a revision;
- Papers must be accompanied by a cover sheet detailing its writer’s revision process (under Class Materials)—no cop-outs;
- Papers must be typed and formatted according to MLA style guidelines (I mean it)—use the template (under Class Materials)—and should be no less than two and half pages and no more than three pages long;
- Cover sheets are to be attached to the revision, former on top of the latter, with one staple, horizontally, in the upper-left hand corner;
- Papers containing more than four obvious errors in conventions and usage for formal, written, academic English or that deviate from MLA style (including not embedding quotations) will lose 7% from the final grade (I have several style books you can reference.);
- Writers who did not confer with me over their initial drafts or who chose not to revise their essays must still submit a cover sheet, blank except for name, date, title, and initial score and “I choose not to revise timed-writing X” in number 4, signed;
- Revision scores will replace initial in-class scores if merited.
As we discussed the Orwell text today, the subjects of imperialism and empire inevitably came up, and so I thought I’d offer “The White Man’s Burden” by Rudyard Kipling. This is controversial text, and has been interpreted in at least a couple of ways. Try processing it.
Take up the White Man’s burden—
Send forth the best ye breed—
Go bind your sons to exile
To serve your captives’ need;
To wait in heavy harness,
On fluttered folk and wild—
Your new-caught, sullen peoples,
Half-devil and half-child.Take up the White Man’s burden—
In patience to abide,
To veil the threat of terror
And check the show of pride;
By open speech and simple,
An hundred times made plain
To seek another’s profit,
And work another’s gain.Take up the White Man’s burden—
The savage wars of peace—
Fill full the mouth of Famine
And bid the sickness cease;
And when your goal is nearest
The end for others sought,
Watch sloth and heathen Folly
Bring all your hopes to nought.Take up the White Man’s burden—
No tawdry rule of kings,
But toil of serf and sweeper—
The tale of common things.
The ports ye shall not enter,
The roads ye shall not tread,
Go mark them with your living,
And mark them with your dead.Take up the White Man’s burden—
And reap his old reward:
The blame of those ye better,
The hate of those ye guard—
The cry of hosts ye humour
(Ah, slowly!) toward the light:—
“Why brought he us from bondage,
Our loved Egyptian night?”Take up the White Man’s burden—
Ye dare not stoop to less—
Nor call too loud on Freedom
To cloke your weariness;
By all ye cry or whisper,
By all ye leave or do,
The silent, sullen peoples
Shall weigh your gods and you.Take up the White Man’s burden—
Have done with childish days—
The lightly proferred laurel,
The easy, ungrudged praise.
Comes now, to search your manhood
Through all the thankless years
Cold, edged with dear-bought wisdom,
The judgment of your peers!
How does this inform your recent readings? Do you read this as a sincere exhortation or as satire?
See you next class.
English 9 Class Notes
Objectives: Freshmen identified and explained plot, character, setting, and figurative language in a drama.
Freshmen, we reviewed the first act of our drama today, compared the characters of Benvolio and Tybalt (and I included some ribald information about the latter’s name), and I quizzed you. Instead of reading and listening as we began the second act, we tried watching and reading: We watch the teleplay production while you read along and I stopped frequently to check your understanding and help clarify the action. We only got to the end of the second scene, but taking our time was worth it, I think, to comprehend perhaps the most famous scene in Western drama.
No homework. Have a fine weekend.
APELC Class Notes
Second and fourth period juniors and seniors, we did the same your peers yesterday. Check their notes for objectives and details, and be sure to attend your homework.
Here’re two links recent stories about Voodoo (or voodou, or vodou) engendered by the earthquake in Haiti: “Voodoo Brings Solace To Grieving Haitians” and “Haiti’s vodou religion”. They’re worth a listen.
Have a nice weekend.
APELC Class Notes
Objectives: APELCers 1) processed a novel, and 2) researched their worldviews.
First and third, we did some clean-up work in the second part of Things Fall Apart today, and I asked you to consider Acehebe’s motives for writing the novel. Recall in the podcast “Chinua Achebe: A Hero Returns”, the author is asked why he wrote the novel, and he responds “It was a story that needed to be told”. What does Achebe mean? Why does he decide to paint the picture of Ibo culture that he does? Is it commendable, honorable? Why does he lay the Ibo worldview bare? We’ll complete the novel next week.
We spent the last half of class in the liberry where I conferred with students over their recent timed-writings and everybody had time to complete their worldview research statements.
Attend your homework, and I’ll see you on Monday.
English 9 Class Notes
Objectives: Freshmen identified and explained plot, character, and setting in a drama.
Hey kids, we finished the first act of Romeo and Juliet. It seems like a bit since we started, but remember that we had Monday off. Key people to know: obviously our title characters, but also Tybalt, Mercutio, and Benvolio, and the Nurse. It’s Sunday afternoon when we meet Romeo after the Capulets and Montagues fight in the city, and he’s bemoaning his unrequited love for Rosaline. That same evening, though, he forgets Rosaline when he claims to fall in love with thirteen year old Juliet, whose mother urgently wants her to consider marriage to Count Paris.
Complete your chain of events document for Friday; we’ll compare and contrast Benvolio and Mercutio characters then, too.
See you Friday.
APELC Class Notes
Second and fourth juniors and seniors, we did the same as your peers did yesterday. Check their notes for objectives and details.
Please don’t wait to review your notes. We talked over a lot of ideas in class today; I’d encourage you to begin to examine all text for worldview details. Movies and books are the easiest to determine.
I’ll leave you with these two articles: “Saudi girl, 13, sentenced to 90 lashes after she took a mobile phone to school” and “‘Illegal’ Saudi women’s gym shut: media”. What do you think?
See you Friday.
APELC Class Notes
Objectives: APELCers 1) framed an op-ed, and 2) examined worldview in popular text.
Indeed we did do those things listed first and third APELCers. Avatar provided a great opportunity to examine how creators of text express their worldviews in their creations. Leigh asked in third period if all movies express some type of worldview and I argued “Yes. Each does to a degree”. Sometimes they’re explicit or at least obvious, such as in the movies Douthat refers to in his op-ed, but they’re just as often implicit, such as in movies like Reservoir Dogs or Sliding Doors. I also asked you to examine how both of the authors of the articles we examined in class today synthesized their sources, and we connected their strategy to the recent timed-writing you completed (the revision of which is due next week).
Finally, I asked you to evaluate the romantic pantheistic notions of Avatar with the reality of the pantheistic Ibo culture; Cody asked in first what it’d take to “get back” to “nature” like the blue cats in Avatar, what would we have to give up? Someone followed-up in third by asking, if this earlier state was better why did we eventually change to the state we’re in now? I left you with some questions about Things Fall Apart. In particular I asked you to speculate why Achebe chose to present Ibo culture as he did, warts and all, even unsympathetic. (Is Okonkwo a sympathetic character?) How does his portrayal commend the Ibo worldview?
As revision conferences begin, remember that when we confer, you must have:
- Your essay highlighted (even you’re unsure of some of your highlights),
- Your own timed-writing prompt (annotated) and rubric,
- Your own copy of “How to Prepare for a Revision Conference” and answers to the questions in 4 or 5 in the form of notes and ideas.
If you do not have these, we will not confer and you will lose your slot and opportunity to revise your essay. And as always, don’t be late to your conference; be early, or the next student will move into your slot.
I’ll see you next time. Until then, here’re two articles I spoke about briefly in class: the first about death due to Avatar, “Man died after watching Avatar”, and the second, a pointed argument against Ralph Waldo Emerson, “Giving Emerson the boot”.
English 9 Class Notes
Objectives: Freshmen identified and explained plot, character, and setting in a drama.
Freshmen, we continued with the first act of Romeo and Juliet today. It’s difficult going, but I tried to make things a bit easier with a teleplay production of the drama. It’s different from the version you’d usually encounter in freshman English, but I actually like this version and even though it’s got sets and stages, it’s closer to what Shakespeare’s production might have been like.
Until next Wednesday here’re two videos, the first from Dire Straits with their original version of the song “Romeo and Juliet” and the second from The Killers with their take on the song. This comedy about these two misguided teenagers has inspired many artists over the past couple of centuries since appreciation of Shakespeare really began (he was popular in his time, but never achieved the heights he enjoys today), and even though I’m big on the play I really dig this song.
Have a great weekend, kids.
APELC Class Notes
Period 2 and 4 juniors and seniors, as your peers did yesterday, you met in the T-lab and chose the topic for your research. One of the requirements of the paper I reminded you in particular was your description of how the worldview you chose is general perceived and received in the marketplace of ideas, and I highlighted the ease with which some proponents of certain worldviews enable outsiders to judge their beliefs spiteful and their persons opportunistic with two recent examples. Both are claims about what caused the devastating and tragic earthquake in Haiti; the first is from Christian evangelist Pat Robertson, referring to a centuries old legend:
The second is from pantheist actor Danny Glover of Predator 2:
What do you make of these comments?
APELC Class Notes
Objectives: APELCers chose and began researching worldviews.
We met in the T-lab today, children. (Thank you Ms. Bible for the generous use of the facility.) I reviewed with you the extensive assignment that’ll occupy you until the middle of the fourth quarter. It seems like a lot, and it is, but it’s manageable and I have every faith that you’ll be able to see it through.
I mentioned the film Collision in third period, I believe, and here’s an interview with the debaters from NPR that’s worth your time: “A ‘Collision’ Of Beliefs: Atheist Vs. Theologian”. For those with a curiosity about “explanations”, I recommend you read the following brief but thorough reference piece by Robert Lawrence Kuhn published in Skeptic : “Why This Universe? Toward a Taxonomy of Possible Explanations”.
I also described two incidents from the last decade, tragic for the ignorance they reveal, that I’ve linked here. The first happened days after the events of September 11, “Sikh Owner Of Gas Station Is Fatally Shot In Rampage”; the second, happened a couple of years ago and ended on a relatively light note, light at least compared to how it could’ve ended considering its ridiculous beginning: “Muslim helps Jews attacked on New York subway”.
Thanks for your kindness in allowing me another day to get this quarter’s first timed-writing back to you. All APELCers can sign-up for a revision conference at their convenience. To get an idea how this essay was scored when it appeared on the 2007 exam see the student samples on the APELC exam questions page at AP Central. Also, take time to read and digest “Preparing for the Synthesis Question: Six Moves Toward Success” written by David Jolliffe.
Begin researching your worldview and revising your paper. Have a fine weekend and I’ll see you Tuesday. Bring Things Fall Apart then.
English 9 Class Notes
Objectives: Freshmen identified and explained plot, character, and setting in a drama.
Freshmen, we had a little time today to begin Romeo and Juliet after we discussed some facts of Shakespeare’s life and facts of the Globe Theater. You’ll discover, or I’ll reveal to you over the next few weeks, that for all of the high-minded attention paid to and credit given to Bill Shakespeare over the centuries he was a playwright, actor, and businessman, artful certainly, obviously, but an entertainer first with a keen awareness of his audiences and their (often naughty) needs.
Try to get through the first act for Friday. We’ll read, listen, and view it then, but I’d like you to try to work out some of the story for yourselves.
See you then.
APELC Class Notes
Period 2 and 4 AEPCLers, you completed the timed-writing as your did peers yesterday, but we had no time to discuss the two arguments for and against cultural relativism I mentioned in these notes the last few days, so I’ll elaborate a bit here (from notes by Heathwood and the Rachels text).
Here’s the Cultural Differences Argument in which the premises lead to the deduction of the truth of cultural relativism:
- Different societies have different beliefs about right and wrong; eg., in the United States mutilating young girls’ genitals is believed morally wrong to and is illegal, while mutilating young girls’ genitals in Sudan is believed morally right and isn’t illegal.
- If different societies have different beliefs about right and wrong, then morality depends upon the beliefs of society; eg., the immorality of mutilating young girls’ genitals in the United States and the morality of mutilating young girls’ genitals in Sudan are products of each peoples’ beliefs.
- If morality depends upon the beliefs of society, then cultural relativism is true; eg., if belief makes morality, then the presupposition that an act is morally right if and only if it is permitted by the moral code of the society of the agent of the act is true.
- Therefore, cultural relativism is true.
What are the consequences? Anything goes if a “culture” deems it so. The main flaw with the Cultural Differences Argument, I think and as several of you observed, is that premise 2 equate “belief” with “right”; that is, belief makes right. Is this true?
Another problem with the idea of cultural relativism that became apparent during our discussion over the last few days was one of grammar. Several students, in defense of the Cultural Differences Argument, ultimately said, “If female genital mutilation works for them, then they should do it”. It’s necessary then to ask what the antecedent of the pronouns “them” and “they” is? If the antecedent is the culture or society in which the practice is carried out, then the cultural relativist must include as part of that society the girls on whom the female genital mutilation is performed. These girls are always unwilling or uninformed; does the practice then really “work” for them?
A final issue a couple of periods discovered Monday, among those above and others we’ve discussed, has to with do with Rachels’ sixth thesis of the cultural relativist: “It is mere arrogance for us to try to judge the conduct of other peoples. We should adopt an attitude of tolerance toward the practices of other cultures”. Several of you identified this problem: The second proposition violates the first; that is, it is a judgment about conduct and so the argument is another contradiction (recall the contradiction in the fourth thesis, too).
Here’s the Reformer’s Dilemma in which the premises lead to the deduction that cultural relativism isn’t true:
- If cultural relativism is true, then anyone who advocates reform is mistaken; eg., figures such as Susan B. Anthony, Mahatma Gandhi, and Martin Luther King advocated reform, and organizations such as Save Darfur, Free the Slaves, Human Rights Watch, even the Democratic and Republican national committees and individuals such as Jim Webb do advocate reform.
- It is not the case that anyone who advocates reform is mistaken; eg., Susan B. Anthony, Mahatma Gandhi, and Martin Luther King were not mistaken, and Save Darfur, Free the Slaves, Human Rights Watch, the Democratic and Republican national committees, and Jim Webb are not mistaken.
- Therefore, cultural relativism is not true.
Think carefully now: If cultural relativism were true, all of the individuals and organizations I listed in the former premises really wouldn’t just have been mistaken, they would’ve been wrong to advocate reform.
I know I’ve talked a lot about female genital mutilation the last few days. As a person who’s mom ran and was raised in a home-daycare and who’s worked and played with lots of babies and children and who is now as a father to a beautiful treasure of a little girl, I assess this practice a horrific, cruel, and calculated violation of inherent human dignity (although there are still worse). I’ll leave you to view and consider the following clips embedded below, and I don’t think I’ll say anything explicitly again female genital mutilation in class this year. I’ll continue to challenge your thinking, though.
The first is a secondary source, a UNICEF report that briefly summarizes the issue in the Somali region of Ethiopia. The second is the longer primary source from which was culled footage for the first.
Meet in the T-lab next class.
APELC Class Notes
Objectives: APELCers 1) completed a synthesis essay, and 2) reviewed arguments for and against cultural relativism.
First and third juniors and seniors, you did as I’ve listed in the objectives. We spent too little time on the arguments for against cultural relativism, but I may post them tomorrow. We will revisit these in our discussion and your research of worldview.
I’ll have your timed-writings back to you Thursday, and you can begin signing-up for revision conferences that afternoon beginning at 2:25 in tutoring.
I’ll see you in the T-lab next class.