Final for English, 3 level (Easton)
Our final is Wednesday, December 18 at 10 am.
1st period should report to room B-311 (with Easton). 3th period will be in B-313 (with Ortman).
Week 7 Syllabus: December 9
OKONKWO IS EXILED FOR THE ACCIDENTAL killing of a boy during Ezeudu’s funeral, his only option being to flee his village with his family, leaving all he had built up behind. How will Okonkwo respond to this tragedy which is so obviously beyond his control? In part two, we will see the arrival of European, Christian evangelists looking to convert the people of Umofia to Christianity. As you would predict, their arrival will not sit well with Okonkwo. And as we already know, English colonial rule will conquer the Yoruba speaking area and establish a colonial governor. Keep notes on how “things fall apart,” paying attention to the themes of power and individual responsibility (to one’s family, religion, rule of law, place of origin).
MONDAY, December 9
Today we’re looking into Achebe’s life and writing. We will start with a newspaper article, an obituary from 2013. Then we will watch an interview with Bill Moyers, keeping notes to answer the question, “What does Achebe hope that his reader gets from his novel(s)?”
Moving into chapter 12 and 13, ending part one.
Achebe ends part one with chapters that describe pivotal moments for Umofian society: the court system and justice, a wedding, a religious rite, and a funeral. Why do you suppose that Achebe includes these topics in the chapters prior to Okonkwo’s accident and expulsion from Ibo society?
We will read chapters 12 together.
HW: If you want to replace the “Chelkash” annotation grade, and submit your annotations to Binti to replace it, you should turn that in on Wednesday.
Read chapter 13 and 14 for class on Wednesday.
WEDNESDAY, December 11
I will review my annotations on chapters 13 and 14. Note, without irony, that Uchendu’s advice to Okonkwo about “[his] mother [being] there to protect you” is exactly what Ekwefi was doing, when following Ezinma and Chielo to the sacred Oracle of the Hills. That’s something that Okonkwo can’t reconcile, the earth goddess as ruler in life.
Reading chapter 15 in class together.
HW: Read chapter 16 and 17 for class tomorrow (p. 143-153, only 10 pages!)
THURSDAY, December 12
Today, we will write a practice paragraph for the final, about Okonkwo. We are told he is born for greatness…does he achieve it? At this point in the novel, what do you think?
We will also get into round-robin groups and share some of your marginal notes in TFA.
I will also collect TFA to grade the annotations, up to and including chapter 17.
HW: Our final is Wednesday, Dec. 18 at 10 am. 1st period will meet in room B-311 with me. 3rd periods will meet in room xB-313 with Mr. Ortman.
Week 6 Syllabus: December 2
OKONKWO IS CONSUMED BY MASCULINITY AND PROVING himself as strong. He is not necessarily a bad man because he doesn’t understand the important role women play in Umofia, or that he’s impatient with cultural activities or stories he deems “unmanly” or feminine. But it is a short-coming in his character. The mythic stories that Nwoye’s mother tells him have cultural importance beyond what Okonkwo understands. That Nwoye prefers these tales over Okonkwo’s violent, bloody tales of conquest and war does not make him less of a person in Umofia, but Okonkwo does think less of him as a son. Thus, Okonkwo’s preference for Ikemefuna, his “adopted” son, and his daughter Ezinma by his second wife, Ekwefi, who seemingly acts more masculine that Nwoye.
MONDAY, December 2
Today we’re looking into the society in which Okonkwo lives, the seven villages of Umofia, and the culture of the Ibo people.
Short lecture on the similarities between American Thanksgiving and the Ibo Festival of the Yam.
In small groups, starting with a brief return to academia, working on crossword puzzles for 5 minutes.
Completing a new google sheet, this one analyzing chapter five for quotes revealing the nature of Ibo society (and starting to think about the role of women in Umofia.
HW: If I didn’t collect your crossword, finish it and turn it in on Wednesday. Read chapter six for homework.
WEDNESDAY, December 4
I will review my annotations on chapters five and six, pointing out Okonkwo’s fascination with masculinity and his short temper, especially in context of his daughter Ezinma, whom seems to be his favorite, despite being born female.
Notice, Cielo, as the Priestess of Agbala, also favors Ezinma. Some clear foreshadowing, here.
We will watch the contest for leadership in Marvel’s imaginary Wakanda, portrayed in Black Panther. Note the similarities with the wrestling contest in chapter six.
We will begin reading and annotating chapter seven.
HW: Read chapter seven tonight for homework.
THURSDAY, December 5
Reading chapters eight, nine and ten in class today, and annotating with the thematic questions in mind.
HW: Read chapters 11 and 12 for class on Monday.
2 Videos about the Ancient Greek Oracle of Delphi
The image above is linked to the Britannica web site.
Nigeria: Journey of an African Colony
Click on the image above to access the film clip from the documentary.
This documentary provides an interesting counterpoint to our textbook’s view of the western imperialism that dominated Africa in the 19th century, and the ensuing independence movement in the later 20th century. Remember, Things Fall Apart is published in 1959.
Week 5 Syllabus: November 18
UNOKA DIES A POOR MAN, YET HE IS CULTURED nonetheless. He is a drunkard, yet he also is talented, and his musical abilities are appreciated in his village. Unoka is likewise lazy, but he knows how to greet his guest, offering him kola nut and welcoming him into his home. In contrast, Okonkwo has great physical prowess, but words fail him when he becomes angry. He is respected as a leader, yet he struggles to show affection to his children. It seems nobody is perfect according to Achebe…but because these men are flawed, does it follow that they are failures? Achebe notes in The Novelist as Teacher “that [Africa’s] past—with all its imperfections—was not one long night of savagery from which first Europeans acting on God’s behalf delivered them (Achebe 45). Where is there good in Unoka? And in Okonkwo?
MONDAY, November 18
Starting with review of the posted quotes and observations about Okonkwo.
In small groups, discussing the trends you see in Okonkwo. What conclusions do you draw about him? Then, discussing Umofia, and how their societal values are similar to and different from Okonkwo’s.
Watching part two of the Netflix documentary on the foundation of the Crown Colony of Nigeria.
HW: Read chapters 3 and 4 for class on Wednesday.
WEDNESDAY, November 20
Period 1 will review the documentary with the new, improved note sheet/questions.
Period 3 will read two selections from an AP history textbook about the colonialism in Africa, and the European partition of the African continent.
HW: Reading chapters three and four for class tomorrow.
THURSDAY, November 21
Reading an article on the Festival of the Yam.
Discussion of chapter three’s visit to the oracle, and the brotherhood of Nwoye and Ikemefuna in chapter four.
Period 1 will work on the two textbook articles that they missed yesterday.
Vocabulary Friday! We will have our first crossword from the novel, due by the end of period.
HW: Read chapters 5 and 6 for homework. Pre-read and post-review the annotation guide questions.
Audio for Achebe's Things Fall Apart
Click on the image above to access audio files for the novel.
Week 4 Syllabus: November 11
IN ACHEBE’S NOVEL THINGS FALL APART, Okonkwo is our protagonist and hero who attempts to protect—and fails to save—his society. Unlike Binti, Okonkwo does not leave his home and people. Just the opposite, he attempts to preserve it by destroying the invading, violent and white, British colonists. Like the Meduse, the Ibo people of Okonkwo’s village are defenseless, both in guile and in force. On the back cover of Binti, the publisher notes that “in order to survive the legacy of war not her making, [Binti] will need both the gifts of her people and the wisdom enshrined in the university.” Okonkwo has his people, his culture, and the wisdom of his ancestors. But none of these will be sufficient to stop the invading European powers.
MONDAY, November 11
Discussion on “Binti.” We will start with the Eden, the mysterious, powerful cube Binti finds in the Himba desert (or does it find her?). We will explore this mysterious object as a way of accessing Okorafor’s novella and story of cultural clash.
Second part of class, we will discuss the poem quoted in Achebe’s epigraph, “The Second Coming,” by William Butler Yeats, an Irish poet, dramatist and early 20th century revolutionary.
HW: Period 1 did not discuss the novella, because too many students weren’t prepared for discussion. Finish reading and annotating the novella, “Binti.”
Spend a half-hour researching and discovering what you can about Yeats’s poem, “The Second Coming.” Use these library database resources to discover what you can.
WEDNESDAY, November 13
Select the image above to access audio to the novel.
Period 1 will be discussing “Binti.”
Period 3 will begin reading and annotating Things Fall Apart (TFA).
We ARE behind on the syllabus, because we spend an extra day getting ready for our Great Books discussion of “Binti.”
Reading chapter one of TFA together; starting with the pre-and-post reading questions to help with annotation/comprehension checks.
While reading, similar to how you annotated Binti, look for culture clash within the Ibo people. Why does Okonkwo value? How are his personal views at times in conflict with others’ cultural values? Remember to use these questions at the end of our assigned readings.
HW: Finish (re)reading chapter one and read chapter two for class on Thursday. We will discuss Okonkwo’s values and the values of the Umofia people on Monday.
Week 3 Syllabus: November 6
WE’RE TRANSITIONING INTO OUR FIRST NOVEL, Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe. In order to prepare for the novel, we will read a science-fiction novella, “Binti” by Nigerian-American writer Nnedi Okorafor. It’s the bildungsroman (coming-of-age tale) of a young adult of the reclusive Himba people, traveling to university—on another planet! On the way, she must confront and overcome her fear of the majority Khoush people, who rarely interact with the Himba. How will Binti fare on her journey? While traveling, she will encounter the violent and frightening Meduse, a nightmare-like violent race, blood-thirsty and dangerous. How will Binti survive her journey?
WEDNESDAY, November 6
Crossword on the works of Ursula K. LeGuin. We will do these with partners, due by end of period.
HW: Make sure you have your copy of Achebe’s Things Fall Apart…we are starting our reading next week!
THURSDAY, November 7
Nnedi Okorafor was born in the United States to two Igbo immigrant parents; she holds a Ph.D. in English and is an associate professor of Creative Writing at University of Buffalo
Reading day. We will start reading “Binti,” a novella by an Nigerian-American writer. It tells the story of a Himba humanoid who travels to university—on another planet, Oomza. The Himba are reclusive, yet Binti goes forward on her hero journey. While traveling, she must engage the Khoush, the majority of humanoids who inhabit her home-planet and are biased against the Himba people. During her journey, we meet the horrific Meduse, a violent race engaged in war with the Khoush. Will Binti survive her journey?
While reading, annotate for information about the three core groups: the Himba, the Khoush, and the Meduse. How are they described? How do they act? What do they believe? How do these three groups interact? What argument is Okorafor making about cultural interactions?
HW: Finish reading and annotating “Binti” for class on Monday.
Have your copy of Chinua Acebe’s novel, Things Fall Apart, ISBN # 978-0385474542. I will introduce it Monday, after our discussion on the novella.
A response to LeGuin's "Those Who Walk Away..."
This hyperlink will take you to M.K. Jemisin’s “The Ones Who Stay and Fight,” a response story to LeGuin’s thought experiment.
Week 2 Syllabus: October 28
LEGUIN’S STORY POSES SEVERAL QUESTIONS. How can society celebrate joyfully when a citizen suffers so cruelly in their midst? What’s an individual’s responsibility to alleviate suffering that exists in their society? Are those who leave Omelas running away from paradise, or embarking on their own to establish a utopia of their own making? What are the most important elements to a good society? Is suffering a necessary component to human life? We will discuss these and other questions this week, and then write an descriptive paragraph about your personal utopian/dystopian idyll.
MONDAY, October 28
Great Books discussion on “Those Who Walk Away from Omelas”
“What is a utopia?” Small group reading/analysis of three stories that we’ve read so far.
HW: Staple together a) your annotations of the story, b) your classroom discussion of the story, and c) your utopia analysis worksheet. I will collect all three on Wednesday.
WEDNESDAY, October 30
Utopia Day! We will start with a short lecture on how Rushdie, Forster, Gorky, and LeGuin describe both utopia and dystopia.
Watching this short BBC video about both utopia and dystopia (see below).
In the same small groups as Monday, brainstorming ideas for your personal utopia, and discussing the merits and demerits thereof.
HW: Writing your discussion post in Canvas, wherein you describe your personal utopia.
HALLOWEEN, October 31
This is what the current, paperback edition looks like. But you CAN purchase and use any edition…whatever is cheapest!
We will have a SPOOKY Halloween day, celebrating some folklore (an ancient, and now modern tale about encountering the devil). We will also read selections from “The Legend of Sleepy Hallow” by Washington Irving.
We will close by watching the 1949 Disney retelling of the story, narrated by early 20th century crooner, Bing Crosby.
I WILL collect the Omelas materials today, in one group. That will include: annotations, discussion notes, utopia notes.
HW: Get your copy of Chinua Acebe’s novel, Things Fall Apart, ISBN # 978-0385474542
Week 1 Syllabus, Quarter 2: October 21
WE SPENT ANOTHER DAY ANNOTATING/WRITING about Gorky’s “Chelkash,” so we will actually start LeGuin’s “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas” this week. Quarter grades are due this week, so I will be adding assignments into Canvas and calculating grades. If you have questions about any grade, please come see me and we can talk—my office is C-211 and my non-teaching periods are 2, 4, 5, and 7 (7C I’m in F-lounge hall supervision).
MONDAY, October 21
Spending the first 10 minutes finishing work on the Chelkash crosswords. The scholar with the most solved clues will set the bar for maximum points, and the curve on this assignment for the course.
Listening to the 4-page long, philosophical and dense story. annotating for what LeGuin says about the world of Omelas, the society there, and the people of Omelas. How is the celebration on the Green Fields a metaphor for a perfect society? How does our image of that perfection shift with the description of the child in the basement?
Starting work on the Chelkash crossword.
HW: Re-read and annotate the short story.
WEDNESDAY, October 23
Grading day. Reviewing the way grades are weighted by category, and how point values shift in the annotation category to privilege 2nd quarter (later) notes over earlier assignments.
Reviewing your feedback for the “Machine Stops” writing assignment.
HW: Revise, print, read aloud, and re-revise your “Machine Stops” response. This will be due in class on tomorrow.
THURSDAY, October 24
Collecting your revisions via a text-box submission in Canvas.
Re-reading (close reading) of Omelas and taking notes as a class.
Watching the first half of the Ursula K. LeGuin documentary in class. Add to your annotations on the short story.
HW: Finish watching the documentary this weekend. You should re-read, and finish annotating the story, in preparation for class discussion on Monday.
documentary on ursula k. le guin, audio to "Omelas" (Copy)
Click on the author’s image above to access the documentary, “The Worlds of Ursual K. Le Guin”
Week 9 Syllabus: October 14
“WITHIN HIM WAS RAGING A WHOLE MOB… of desires.” So describes Gorky, portraying the transformational greed that strikes Gabriel. What hold does greed have over us? How does greed transform both Gabriel and Chelkash—both of them? Why is Chelkash so offended by Gabriel’s request for all the money? Why does Gabriel strike out and nearly kill Chelkash? And in the end, why does Chelkash come to despise Gabriel, and yet gives everything to him in the end? Finally, what does Gorky want us to know about humanity, via the description of nature in the last paragraph?
MONDAY, October 14
Small group discussion groups, working on study guide questions on the introduction and part one of “Chelkash.” Answers do require direct quotes, punctuated appropriately.
Re-listening to the “blue sword” passage in part two, and writing an answer to the discussion question posted in Canvas.
Once done, we will listen to the ending of our story, part three, together in class.
HW: Write an answer to the “blue sword” discussion question on Canvas. By class on Wednesday, you should have a) finished the first eight study guide questions, b) finished posting your “blue sword” comment in Canvas, and c) finished reading AND annotating “Chelkash.”
WEDNESDAY, October 16
Crossword day! Bring on the vocabulary….
HW: Have 30 clues solved by class on Thursday. I am collecting annotations to “Chelkash” in class on Thursday.
THURSDAY, October 17
Guide to the parts of speech, online here.
Small group review of parts of speech. We will watch the following, short video about verbs.
Reading “Those Who Walk Away from Omelas.”
HW: re-read “Omelas,” picking out a) physical descriptions of the people, b) physical descriptions of the city, c) descriptions of their culture, and d) specific, concrete nouns or active verbs that LeGuin uses to create this imaginary world.
Week 8 Syllabus: October 7
CLOSE READING requires that you very carefully, and slowly, examine what the author describes in detail. We will practice doing this with “Chelkash.” Gorky is a great writer, in part, because he’s thought a lot about imagery and symbolism. For example, in his introduction, the Odesa dock workers are menial, suffering workers who are crushed beneath the shipping company’s inhumane treatment. We see them “toiling” for a few, meager crusts of bread, oppressed by fellow humans and nature itself. All is ruined by the greed of consumption! Likewise, Chelkash is described as a fox, a predator who takes advantage of the weak and innocent, stealing from them to feed his insatiable hunger for gold, more valuables, more food.
MONDAY, October 7
Posting your paragraph on Forster’s “The Machine Stops” into our classroom blog.
More closely examining the imagery in the introduction to Gorky’s “Chelkash.”
Then reading part one, wherein we see Chelkash described in great detail. He will meet a country bumkin (or rube)—a young, innocent farmer who travels to Odesa to make money, so he can purchase his own farm and marry the wealthy girl he loves.
HW: Read through the paragraphs on our blog. We will revise these in class, Wednesday night. Our focus will be VERBS. Which writers are better at using verbs? Which overly rely upon the “to be” forms: is, am, are, was, were, have, has, had, could, would, should, be, being, been, do, doing, does?
Also finish reading part one of Chelkash.
WEDNESDAY, October 9
Revisiting verbs as a part of speech (and the predicate, the part of sentence that describes the action/being the noun is/does).
Revising your paragraphs, changing THREE simple predicates to action-verbs.
HW: In class tomorrow, we will dive deeper into subject/predicate, improving your ability to identify that part of the sentence(s). We will then also work on revision.
Make sure you’ve finished part one of “Chelkash” for class. We will create a characterization focusing upon VERBS.
THURSDAY, October 10
Shortened day due to late start.
Short, concise review of subject/predicate rules via this video. We will start at minute 3:10.
Revision expectations for the machine paragraphs, due Monday.
Returning to part two of Chelkash. Here’s audio for our story!
HW: Finish reading part two. Where are the symbols that Gorky uses in this part of the story, their journey into the bay, and the successful theft of goods?
Also revise THREE “to be” helping/linking verb out of your paragraph, and repost the new version as a comment to your original post.
"The Machine Stops" Paragraphs
Post your paragraph on E.M. Forster’s short story here, as a comment to this blog entry. If you have any issues posting these, keep a screen shot of the issue you’ve encountered. We will revise the verbs in these during class Wednesday night.
Remember, your paragraph needs to take a stand on one side of the issue: Are machines helpful or harmful to society? Include a direct quote from the story, and an indirect quote from either the film Modern Times or Wall-E. You CAN acknowledge the other view, but do not “split the baby down the middle” in a Solomon-esque manner.
The above image, a still from Charlie Chaplin’s Modern Times, will take you to the audio to Forester’s 1909 short story.
Week 7 Syllabus: September 30
MARGINAL ANNOTATONS SHOULD REFLECT THE READERS dialogue with the text about meaning. For narrative works, that includes your questions about what you’re reading: questions of clarification and questions that develop your thinking. Readers should write out their observations about the theme within the story, identifying and explaining a passage’s importance—be that a character conflict, a symbolic description, or an extended metaphor that develops the writer’s theme. There are lots of ways to annotate. Most importantly, you should practice engaging your reading in a dialogue. What do you notice? What is the writer doing? What would good readers notice, and what do they think it means?
MONDAY, September 30
Discussion of the short story, “The Machine Stops.” Who is responsible for the downfall of society?
HW: Write an answer to question #4 on the last page of our short story. I will collect your annotations on “The Machine Stops” for class on Wednesday.
WEDNESDAY, October 2
Returning to the Machine crossword for a bit, while I collect annotations from the story.
Second half of class, reading, re-reading, and re-re-reading the introduction to the Maxim Gorky short story, “Chelkash".” Annotating for language that describes nature, objects, and people respectively, each reading. The audio for the story is here.
HW: When class resumes on Monday, we will work on the worksheets on the introduction and part one. We’ll also read part two and complete a worksheet on part two.