CONGRATULATIONS GRADUATES!

I can't believe it's this time of year AGAIN! Congratulations to all of you, and best of luck for next year. This is an exciting time and a time of big transition.

I want you all to know that although I wasn't with you the entire year, I REALLY enjoyed this years' AP class. Each of you are such unique and interesting people. AND you were such good sports during HAMLET!!!!

I would be interested in hearing about your future successes, accomplishments, etc. so please stay in touch. Also, it has been my privilege to write recommendations for several of you, and if I can be of help in any way down the road.....please let me know.

I enjoyed getting to know all 17 of you. Congratulations and have a great summer!!!!

Sincerely,

Mrs. Harl

HAMLET POSTED!

Our version of Hamlet is posted at the following link:

http://www.evscicats.com/terry/classes/hamlet.html

I thought you were all awesome! (Especially considering we had NO IDEA what we were getting into when we started!)

The actors, editors, musicians, and camera people.......great job!

I'll include the link below under "Helpful Links."

There is still more to add, which I'll work on from home. Check back for updates.

Colten, are you still working on bloopers? Even a short version of that would be fun to add.

FINAL EXAMS

Final exams are approaching. Your offical review day is Tuesday, May 12. Your final is on Thursday, May 14.

Although the offical review day is a couple of weeks away, I am working on your review now and hope to have it posted to my teacher web page (not the blog....the page found through the Reitz web site) by the end of the week.

If you'd like to get an early start, go to my teacher web page and print a review sheet over the weekend.

The exam will be 100 questions covering Oedipus, Death of a Salesman, R and G are Dead, The Stranger, and various literary terms.

The review will contain ALL of the final exam questions, so be sure to complete it! There won't be any surprises on the final.

Hope you are all getting excited about graduation!

BABY TIME!

John Patrick Dimmett arrived on Tuesday, April 21. (We are still in the hospital because it was a surgery).

Here are a couple of photos. Mom and baby are doing great. Tired, but great.

Hope you are all doing well and coming along with your scrapbooks.

Expect a final exam review sometime next week. It will contain all of the final exam questions and quotes (only without the answer choices), just like first semester.

Also like first semester, the final will be all multiple choice, matching, or quote identification.

HOW DID HAMLET TURN OUT?

Hello All,

I check into the hospital tomorrow for the week, so naturally I'm wondering about ..........Hamlet! What else????

How did it turn out? Have you all had a chance to watch it? Can anyone burn me a DVD? It seems like we spent A LOT of time on it, so I would love to see the end result and hear what you guys thought after seeing it (if indeed you've seen it!)

I'm very out of the loop, so fill me in. I need something to distract me when I'm up all night with a crying baby:)

Hope you all are doing well.

POETRY READINGS

Don't forget that your main assignment now (besides creative projects due Thursday) are your poetry readings. These are worth 40 points, and you need to take plenty of time to prepare.

POETRY READING TIPS:

1. ALTHOUGH IT IS CONSIDERED A "READING," YOU NEED TO KNOW THE POEM (S) SO WELL THAT YOUR WRITTEN POEM IS ONLY THERE FOR AN EMERGENCY. You should not have your face plastered to the poem during your presentation. It's important to look at your audience.

2. USE YOUR CLASS TIME WISELY. You are being given class time to prepare, so if you bring other things to do or work on homework from other classes, Mr. Gladdish sees that you are not using your classtime to prepare. This is unacceptable. Use your class time wisely!

3. PRACTICE YOUR READING NUMEROUS TIMES! As you probably remember from the oral interp assignment or Hamlet project, it's one thing to feel prepared when your giving your reading in your room at home in front of NO ONE! It's another to perform in front of your classmates. Preparation will go a long way to solving this problem.

4. BE CREATIVE WITH PROPS, COSTUMES, VISUAL AND AUDIO AIDS, ETC. It's obvious when thought and effort is put into this, and your grade will reflect your effort. Also, your classmates will notice whether you've put effort into it or not. It's awkward to watch presenters that aren't prepared and don't have the proper materials.

5. PRINT YOUR OWN COPIES OF THE POEMS FOR YOUR READING. DON'T TRY TO USE THE ANTHOLOGY. IT'S A BIG, AWKWARD BOOK AND WILL GET IN THE WAY OF YOUR PRESENTATION.

6. AT THE BEGINNING OF YOUR READING, TELL THE CLASS THE NAME OF THE POEM, AUTHOR, AND PAGE NUMBER WHERE THE POEM CAN BE FOUND SO THEY CAN FOLLOW ALONG.

7. ALSO BEGIN YOUR READING WITH A THOROUGH EXPLANATION OF WHAT THE POEM IS ABOUT. This will help your audience understand your reading.

8. YOU ARE WELCOME TO POST ANY QUESTIONS HERE, BUT SINCE MR. GLADDISH IS DOING THE GRADING YOU DEFINITELY WANT TO DIRECT THE IMPORTANT QUESTIONS TO HIM.

LITERARY ANALYSIS ASSIGNMENT

Don't forget your literary analysis is due tomorrow.

Also, come prepared to sign up for you poems and work on your poetry readings......that means YOU MUST BRING YOUR ANTHOLOGIES TO CLASS!

Also, creative projects are due Thursday.

LATE ASSIGNMENTS!!!!!!

FOR ALL THOSE WHO HAVE NOT TURNED IN THE MOST RECENT LITERARY ANALYSIS AND TIMED WRITING.......THIS IS FOR YOU:

1). I am almost finished grading your literary analyses over either Oedipus or Death of a Salesman (whichever play you chose for your essay).

A couple of you HAVE NOT TURNED THEM IN! Once I record grades, you will see that a 0 out of 50 does bad things to your overall grade.

After I have the baby, I will not be grading any more essays. THEREFORE, if you want any sort of credit for this assignment, you must turn it in NO LATER THAN FRIDAY, APRIL 10. Sooner rather than later would be good. I could be on my way to the hospital any day now, and we are WAY past the due date for the essay, so don't wait to turn it in if you want some credit.

2). It has come to my attention that several of you were absent on the day of The Stranger timed writing (Friday before Spring Break). I am also grading those papers, and again......NO GRADING ONCE THE NEW PERSON ARRIVES! That means, you MUST MAKE THIS UP ASAP if you missed it.

You have enrichment this week, as well as workdays during 1st period so there's no reason this shouldn't be made up immediately. Don't forget that if you miss class, you are responsible for setting up a time to make up timed writings, quizzes, or anything else you missed! Don't make Mr. Gladdish chase you down.

Use your time wisely in class this week!

LITERARY ANALYSIS ASSIGNMENT

I posted the handout detailing the literary analysis assignment you will work on next week. Mr. Gladdish will have a copy on Monday, but if any of you want to look at it or print it before then, you can go to my teacher web site.

1. Go to my teacher web page (click on the link on this blog, under "helpful links," that says "Reitz Web Page."

2. Click on "Faculty and Staff."

3. Click on "Teacher websites."

4. Click on my name and hit "go".

5. Click on "Courses."

6. Click on your course (English Lit CAP).

7. Click on the link that says "choice novel literary analysis assignment (2 page handout)."

Let me know if you have any trouble accessing the handout. Have a great weekend, and read those novels! Take notes as you go!

Wednesday, April 1--reminders and info

***Mr. Gladdish said everyone worked hard on their scrapbooks yesterday. Keep up the good work! Don't forget that you must have 25 COMPLETE pages by the end of the period on Thursday.

***Also, creative projects are due in TWO WEEKS. Don't wait until the last minute!

***I will post info on the blog AND on my teacher website by the end of the week (Friday) about your literary analysis for your choice AP novel. I'll try to put something on my teacher site that you can print out and keep as your handout. You'll have all next week in class to work, but you'll probably need to work on the reading and writing outside of class as well.

***I will try to make it up to school next week sometime to return and go over graded papers. Don't be shocked when you see me!!!!! I'm three weeks away from my due date and this baby has seriously grown!!!! (I'm blaming it all on the baby, of course). I am scheduled to check in the hospital on April 21, so I'm hoping this child doesn't get ideas about showing up early. I'd like to be able to come and see the finished HAMLET!

***I have some photos of you all working on Hamlet in full costume that are pretty good. I will post those in the next couple of days.

***Hope you are all doing well! Can you believe graduation is almost here??? Is everyone ready?

SCRAPBOOKING AND READING DAY TOMORROW

Don't forget to bring your scrapbooking materials AND your choice AP novel for tomorrow's class. You are receiving points (15 and 10 respectively) just for bringing these materials, so TAKE ADVANTAGE OF an easy 25 points just for bringing materials to work on.

7 of you (Tamara----it's time to choose one of those "leftovers":) ) still need to post your novel on the blog under the appropriate heading, "Choose your novel."

Also, don't forget that your creative projects are due on April 16 in 2.5 weeks! Enjoy the breathing room you are getting this grading period, and take advantage of the work time to get your best grade ever. Resist the temptation to slack because your workload is slightly easier.

BE SURE TO FOLLOW THE SCHEDULE FOR DUE DATES. YOU SHOULD CONSIDER THESE DATES VERY ACCURATE THIS NINE WEEKS SINCE WE AREN'T TRYING TO SQUEEZE IN NEARLY AS MUCH AS IN THE FIRST THREE GRADING PERIODS.

REMINDER

A few of you have still not claimed your novel that is DUE TUESDAY IN CLASS! Please post which novel you will be reading ASAP.

Hope you had a great spring break and that you are all doing well!!!!!

HAPPY SPRING BREAK! (And FINISH YOUR BLOG POSTS)

I hope everyone will have an enjoyable week!

A couple of reminders:

1. please claim your choice novel and purchase or check it out from the library over break.

2. If you haven't yet made your 4 discussion posts over the Stranger, please do so on the post below. I didn't put that as homework for Friday, so I'll give you all a couple of extra days to finish posting. DON'T FORGET TO COMPLETE THE ASSIGNMENT!

Have a relaxing Spring Break!!!

THE STRANGER DISCUSSION ONLINE--REQUIRED POST (20 POINTS)

Now that I will no longer be attending class, we will need to finish our Stranger Discussion online.

HERE ARE THE GUIDELINES:

1. You must post (substantively) a total of FOUR times, worth 5 points each.

2. Posts will be graded on the SUBSTANTIVE nature of the response (be sure to include supporting examples from the text) and adherence to the posting guidelines provided here.

3. It is preferred that you DO NOT POST TWICE IN A ROW...... (As in, you've waited till the last minute and now must post everything all at once. This isn't in the proper spirit of the assignment:) )

4. AT LEAST ONE (preferably two) of your postings MUST BE IN RESPONSE TO THE COMMENTS OF SOMEONE ELSE.

5. You must answer/respond to at least TWO of the questions provided below.

6. DUE DATES:

*THE FIRST POST IS DUE BY WEDNESDAY, MARCH 18 BY 7:40 A.M.
*THE SECOND POST IS DUE BY THURSDAY, MARCH 19 BY 7:40 A.M.
*THE FINAL TWO POSTS ARE DUE BY FRIDAY MARCH 20 BY 7:40 A.M.
*3 BONUS POINTS TO ANYONE WHO MAKES THEIR FIRST POST BY TUESDAY, MARCH 19 BY 7:40 A.M. Please feel free to begin posting at any time. No need to wait until the due dates.

QUESTIONS

The Stranger questions part II (Page numbers may vary according to the publication you have).

1. Explain the title of the novel. Why is this the title, and where do we see evidence of this in the novel?

2. Explain Meursault’s statement “I realized then that a man who had lived only one day could easily live for a hundred years in prison.”(79).

3. Describe Meursault’s trial. What did you find significant or noteworthy about it? What absurdities exist during the trial and how could they be a metaphor for life?

4. Explain Mersault’s statement “it doesn’t much matter whether you die at thirty or seventy, since in either case other men and women will naturally go on living—and for thousands of years.” Do you agree with his attitude towards life and death? Explain why or why not.

5. The chaplain asks Meursault “And do you really live with the thought that when you die, you die, and nothing remains.” Meursault replies “yes.” How might such a belief (as opposed to a belief in some kind of life after death) alter the behavior and decisions of a person, if at all?

6. What other aspects of the novel stand out to you? What else do you find "discussion-worthy?"

CHOOSE YOUR NOVEL

I'm taking reservations for AP novels due after Spring Break. Stake your claim here! Once you've posted, no one else can choose your novel.

You must choose a novel YOU HAVE NOT PREVIOUSLY READ.

Be sure to then check local bookstores or libraries to get a copy.

THE STRANGER BONUS POINT DISCUSSION (up to 15 points)

I thought it would be nice to offer some bonus points here at the end of the grading period, so if anyone happens to check the blog today or tonight.......feel free to participate.

We will be discussing the first few chapters of The Stranger during Thursday's class, so here's the bonus offering:

THE RULES:

1. UP TO 5 BONUS POINTS FOR EACH SUBSTANTIVE POST IN RESPONSE TO ONE OR MORE OF THE QUESTIONS BELOW
2. IF YOU POST MORE THAN ONCE, YOU MUST RESPOND TO THE POST OF A CLASSMATE
3. YOU MAY POST UP TO 3 TIMES FOR A TOTAL OF UP TO 15 BONUS POINTS (DEPENDING ON THE SUBSTANTIVE NATURE OF YOUR POST)
4. YOU MUST INCLUDE SPECIFIC EXAMPLES FROM THE NOVEL TO SUPPORT STATEMENTS IN YOUR POSTS
5. YOU MAY POST UP UNTIL THURSDAY MORNING'S CLASS

Here are the questions:

1. What does Meursault notice during the wake/funeral? What strikes him as "absurd"?

2. What do you think Meursault's behavior in response to his mother's death says about him as a person?

3. Explain the nurse’s statement in chapter 1: “If you go slowly, you risk getting sunstroke. But if you go too fast, you work up a sweat and then catch a chill inside the church.” What larger concept is Camus trying to illustrate here?

4. Characterize Raymond—note irony in his stated values and judgments. What are similarities and differences between him and Meursault?

5. What "absurditites" have been presented in part I so far? Explain.

6. What stands out to you so far about the novel and the characters. Provide your opinion and observations, but support with examples.

A FEW ITEMS

Mr. Gladdish indicated that there was some concern over grades from the judges on Senior Project Presentations. This is the case every year, in large part because some of the grade depends on whom you get for a judge.

I am more than happy to take a look at any of the presentation grades you felt were unreasonably low. We can look at how it will affect your letter grade for the 9 weeks and go from there. Although presenting in front of judges is an important part of the "Senior Project Experience," it is not a system without its flaws.

Also, you have several things due on Thursday, and I am tempted NOT to give you the reading quiz over the next four chapters until next Monday, so you can focus on your essay and reading "Myth of Sisyphus." Mr. Gladdish said you didn't have a lot of work time because of the shortened schedule, so would anyone be terribly upset if we pushed back the reading quiz?

Post any questions here. I'll see you on Thursday.

TUESDAY'S AND THURSDAY'S CLASSES

On Tuesday, you will do the following:

1. take a quiz over chapters 1-4 of The Stranger
2. go over returned timed writings over "The Secret History"
3. receive lots of graded papers

4. Have the rest of the period for working on one or more of the following:

***reading The Stranger (quiz Thursday over chapters 5 and 6 from part I and 1 and 2 of part II)

***annotating Camus' "Myth of Sisyphus" (you need to mark/include at least 10 questions and/or comments ON the handout for our discussion on Thursday)

***preparing your essay over Death of a Salesman or Oedipus (you have a choice) that answers the AP prompt question I gave you two weeks ago. (Mr. Gladdish has extras). This essay is due Thursday and must be typed, but you can prepare/braintorm/draft for it during class if you choose.


On Thursday, we will do the following:

1. take a quiz over chapters 5,6 and 1,2 of the Stranger
2. go over returned timed writings over the e.e. cummings poem
3. Discuss Creative Projects and the last grading period schedule
4. Discuss Myth of Sisyphus and The Stranger


If you have any questions, please post those here.

I will plan to see you on Thursday in class.

DON'T FORGET TO POST YOUR REFLECTION FROM FRIDAY'S DISCUSSION BELOW.

P.S. Some of you have make up quizzes and writings you need to take care of this week!!!!!!

SALESMAN REFLECTION (5 points)

DUE BY TUESDAY, MARCH 10 AT 7:40

Please post your reflection from today's discussion here. You may respond to one or more of the following questions:

**Who said something that made you think during today's discussion? Explain.

**What would you have like to have added that you didn't get a chance to say?

**Did you change your perspective in any way regarding the play or the characters? If so, explain.

DEATH OF A SALESMAN BONUS (AND FRIDAY'S CLASS)

On Friday, we will begin with oral interp, then discuss Death of a Salesman, and then I'll give you introductory info and supplemental reading material over The Stranger.

In preparation for the Salesman discussion, I'd like to ask a few questions ahead of time. Anyone responding (substantively, of course, using examples from the text) on the blog BEFORE Friday's discussion will RECEIVE BONUS POINTS on the discussion grade. Multiple responses here will also count as part of your contribution to the discussion (though it doesn't replace your responsibility for participating in class).

Here are the questions to think about (and hopefully respond to):

1. What do you think is the significance of the play as a whole? In other words, what are Miller's messages/themes? How does he express these messages/ themes?

2. Which characters do you find most and least appealing, and explain why?

3. Do you have any sympathy for Willy or not? Explain specifically why or why not? Do you think Miller likes or sympathizes with any of his main characters?

4. The characters' various speeches at Willy's funeral/gravesite are very different. Charley, Biff, Happy, and Linda all have very different things to say at the end of the play. Which of the characters' dialogue stands out to you the most, and what do you think the words say about the characters themselves?

5. Did you like this play? Why or why not? Explain your thoughts using specific examples from the text.

You may respond to one or more of the questions, and as always you are encouraged to respond to each other as well. If you have a difficult time speaking in class, this is a good alternative way to contribute, THOUGH I SAY AGAIN......IT DOESN'T REPLACE the need to contribute in class as well:)


I hope you guys are having a good week. It has been strange not seeing everyone this week. I am excited to hear about how your presentations went. I've been hearing very good things about them.