Today’s class and homework

Here is a copy of the board from today. It is inclusive of the homework/due date and quote formatting.

Please also check out last post.
Wishing you well.
Ms. S

The Taming of the Shrew/Critical theory

Hello 12s,

• Today we briefly reviewed the concepts of psychological and power criticism.
• You received the entire unit of study for The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare. Please do not work ahead as the seminar should inform your responses.
• You have signed out your play. I am attaching additional resources for you here:
• The Taming of the Shrew full text.( A better version with correct line references)
• Side by side translation of text. THIS IS VERY LIMITING. DO NOT RELY ON THIS SOLEY.
• Shrew Audio book. Listen as you read!
• Stratford festival version video (Start viewing at 14:30) 

We will be viewing the play in parts using the Elizabeth Taylor/Richard Burton version. Each portrayal of the play’s characters and themes will be slightly different. Indeed, depending upon which critical lense it is through which you are looking, you may interpret things very differently.

There is no homework tonight. Though, you may do well to review the preceding links/notes on Critical theory. You may choose to preview the play which is fine to do also.

Wishing you well.

Ms.S 

Critical theory: some video help (See prior post too)

Hello 12s,

We have begun to take a look at texts through various critical theory lenses. Last day you received a notes package to help you begin practicing with this method.

Your homework is to review this notes package and to consider these methodologies as they might be used to look at the story of Cinderella. 

We will go over your thoughts re: this next class and begin to see how this method may apply to texts beyond literature. Ultimately we will apply these tools (critical theory lenses) to our reading of William Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew.

If you are interested in learning more about Critical theory consider checking out the following links:

• What is literary criticism? Video

• A good primer with a focus on Psychoanalytical criticism Video
• Marxist criticism Video
• Gendering the text/feminist theory primerVideo

Critical Theory notes to augment those you got in class

Crtical Theory and 'What's up with Cindy?'

Hello 12s,
Today we began to look at the cognitive/analytical tool of ‘critical theory’.

For next block, please consider the following:

• Review the handout on Critical Theory
• Consider the ways that gender is presented in Cinderella. Carrying on from last day consider how the prince, and how are princes as a fairy tale entity, are almost always presented. Consider looks, expectations, behaviours, as well as what they are not expected to do or to be.

We will continue our study of modes of analysis (critical theory) over the next while and look at Cinderella  in particular next class.

While this can be engaging work as a sort of a puzzle or a game, please consider that critical theory is really about seeing the world from various points of view. The ramifications of being able to do that could, done well, change the way our world functions.

The notes on Psychological theory are agmented here with background reading/viewing for you here.

Here is a link to view a background lecture on this theory and Freud in particular video (I recommend you focus on :7:39-25:35 and again 44:17-you decide)

NOTES:

Sigmund Freud

Psychoanalytic criticism builds on Freudian theories of psychology. While we don't have the room here to discuss all of Freud's work, a general overview is necessary to explain psychoanalytic literary criticism.

Freud asserted that people's   is affected by their unconscious: "...the notion that human beings are motivated, even driven, by desires, fears, needs, and conflicts of which they are unaware..."

Freud believed that our unconscious was influenced by childhood events. Freud organized these events into developmental stages involving relationships with parents and drives of desire and pleasure

"...repression doesn't eliminate our painful experiences and emotions...we unconsciously behave in ways that will allow us to 'play out'...our conflicted feelings about the painful experiences and emotions we repress" (15). To keep all of this conflict buried in our unconscious, Freud argued that we develop defenses: selective perception, selective memory, denial, displacement, projection, regression, fear of intimacy, and fear of death, among others.

Id, Ego, and Superego

(see video)

Freud/psychology and Literature analysis:

Typical questions:

·                How do the operations of repression structure or inform the work?

·                Are there any oedipal dynamics - or any other family dynamics - are work here?

·                How can characters' behavior, narrative events, and/or images be explained in terms of psychoanalytic concepts of any kind (for example...fear or fascination with death, sexuality - which includes love and romance as well as sexual behavior - as a primary indicator of psychological identity or the operations of ego-id-superego)?

·                What does the work suggest about the psychological being of its author?

·                What might a given interpretation of a literary work suggest about the psychological motives of the reader?

·                Are there prominent words in the piece that could have different or hidden meanings? Could there be a subconscious reason for the author using these "problem words"?https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/72

Ha

What is next? UPDATE! DANCES ON THURSDAY!

IKEEPING WITH U-HILL TRADITION, WE HAVE BEEN INVITED TO WATCH THE DANCES THURSDAY. 
COME ON TIME FOR ATTENDANCE AND WORK SUBMISSION, THEN WE WILL HEAD TO THE GYM.
Ms.S

Cycle #3 (test weight)
Due: December 19/18

This final cycle has the most important hero; the hero is YOU.

o Choose a portion of your life to plot on the ‘Hero’s cycle’.
o Analyze/interpret one’s own life as the text.
o Reading your own life for meaning/s.
o Write a letter on on the back of your cycle or on no more than two other pages 12 font double spaced telling me the story behind this transformational journey/cycle.
o Look to an experience after which you were transformed in some way and build your cycle from there.

Looking forward to these!
Ms.S

For clarification

Hello 12s,

To clarify, your quiz-weight draft of cycle #2, which is based on 1 character’s journey in Act 1 of ‘Into the Woods’ is due in draft form at the START of class tomorrow.

I will answer clarifying questions for the first part of class; you can make additions and modifications then and submit.

The second half of class, I’ll assign the 3rd and final cycle. This is test weight. You will have this class and next to work on this final cycle.

I hope this helps clarify things for you all.
See you tomorrow.
Ms.S

Into The Woods/Hero’s cycle #2

Hello 12s (Those who were here and particularly those who had to be absent),

Today I returned your Cycle #1 (hmwk weight) and gave notes for improvements and rationale for this methodology. See me for these if you missed.

Next, we began our Cycle #2 (quiz weight) Due: Tuesday Dec. 11/18 (we may need to finish the play during the block but come with your cycle drafted)

•  We watched the start of Into The Woods by Stephen Sondheim Video link
• Please review the  words/libretto here: Script to play
• Note that character development and plot are most rich in their solos or duets. Read carefully.

You will watch the second half of act 1 on Friday. 

G block start time is: 36:50. Lucy and Joyce will provide Tech. Support

H block start time is:   38:00          Christine and Amy G. Will provide tech. Support

Enjoy.

Ms. S

Bring Duotangs to Theme test

Hello All,

Please bring your duotangs to class. You will be using and then returning them tomorrow.

Many of you have been coming in working on theme; I am seeing good progress. I will be here by 8:00 tomorrow if you’d like to continue.

Friday, we will be reviewing your S.M.A.R.T goals and looking at prepping for applications .
We will be using myBluprint;please ensure you are able to log in.

Thanks,
Ms.S

Calendar modifications

Hello 12s,

As promised, I am updating our timeline to reflect the interruptions we incurred this week. This makes my marking time quite tight as we head toward to the end of term 1. Please ensure that you are present and submitting all work on time to ensure you are able to gain all marks possible. 

Also, please see the previous post for helpful links/tips.

Thanks,

Ms.S

Nov. 13:

o Drafting and defining as per assignment

o Homework check on your plan by end of block

Nov. 15:

o Outlines due (quiz weight) please keep an extra copy for yourself

o Story activity /Theme statement quiz due in class completed on your own.

Nov. 19:

o In-class 2 style write (submit outline together with your essay test please)

o I’ll assign the Theme topic today, Due next class. Nov. 19.(Test weight in class)

Nov. 21:

o Theme statements due (test)

2 form notes and Theme statement ‘how to s’

Hi 12s,

Here is some help for your work this long weekend:

• How To make a Theme State
• Video how to

Two Form Essay Planning

• The essay shall be inclusive of 2 forms. You'll declare and blend a combination of narrative/descriptive/comparison/persuasive/argumentative/expository. Choose 2 and employ/combine them.
• You may bring an outline to the write but it may have no sentences on it. Rather this ought to be a skeletal map of the shape of your ideas.
• You will be assessed equally on form and sophistication/effectiveness of content. So I'll look at both how and what you are saying. (See rubric)
• Be aware of your audience/perspective/diction/form/ devices (analogy,metaphor, irony, simile, imagery) as they all fit together to achieve your purpose.

The top of your essay will look like this for example:

Forms: argumentative/narrative
Audience: Parents of high schoolers
Purpose: To convince parents to broaden their view of post secondary to include other schools . . ./to amuse.
Devices used: analogy, logic/logos, pathos/emotion, two levels of diction

Enjoy your long weekend. Spare a thought for service men and women now and in years gone by. <3
Ms. S

Today’s update and another link to practice quote embedding

Hi all,

Here is more practice with embedding quotes: Review/examples/practice/answer key

Today, you were working in teams mapping the formatting of the essays we have been reading. (We are doing so to ‘reverse design’ our own essay's structure.) We will revisit and share these next block.

Next, we will share our maps and discuss the literary/rhetorical devices used and their effects.

We are/will begin the pre-writing phase for your own essays. I will go over the rubric as well:Essay Rubric

I will return your Theme statements next class. We will review (once again) the elements/rubric for writing theme statements.

Please review the due dates in the October 23rd post.

Thank you for your diligent team work today.

Ms.S