Romeo & Juliet: Folger Edition
Students can use the Folger Library edition of Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet in lieu of purchasing a copy of the tragedy. The FL also has audio files available for listening, also for free.
Week 2 Syllabus: April 13 ahead
WE COME TO THE BLOODY end of Odysseus’s tale. He kills all those disloyal to whom, and then purifies the halls of his home with fire and incense. But our tale does not end when the suitors are gone, and he and Penelope are reunited. Where, in the chapters depicting the slaying of the suitors, does Homer hint that there’s more to this poem than just Odysseus’s return to home, and his reunion with his wife and son?
MONDAY: GREY DAY/OFFICE HOURS
Today is a grey day, and you can meet with me during Zoom office hours 12:30 and 1:30 pm. Check Canvas for the link to Zoom.
TUESDAY: BLUE DAY
Starting with a Zoom meeting. Check the syllabus on Canvas for a link. First period begins at 10:10, and second period at 11:20.
Looking back on book 21. Is Penelope aware that Odysseus has returned? What evidence do we see in support of her being aware? What evidence do we see against that argument? To what extent to we see Homer and the gods acknowledging that his return has been fated?
HW: Read book 22, a particularly bloody chapter in the poem. As you read, pay careful attention to how Odysseus, Telemachus, the Swineherd and Athena answer the Suitors pleas for mercy. Some are forgiven. Most are killed. Why are those that are spared, forgiven?
WEDNESDAY: GREEN DAY
On the google sheet “Women in the Odyssey,” to the right of your four quotes, write 2-3 sentences that explain your view of the women in the epic poem. Are the women in the Odyssey important? If so, how so? If not, how not? Remember, a claim is a probable, provable, and debatable thesis statement that a) describes your idea and b) previews your reasoning.
This is on the shared google sheet, NOT canvas. Avoid phrases like, “I think,” “I believe,” or “In my view.” Remember, you should have 2-3 sentences, and include Fagles, Homer, and the title Odyssey.
THURSDAY: BLUE DAY
No zoom meeting today.
Check in by completing the “Spared!” assignment in canvas.
HW: Read book 23. Here we see the roles of Odysseus and Penelope reversed, as she becomes the one to test him, using her guile to test this stranger who claims to be Odysseus. At this point, do we practically believe that Penelope doubts her husband’s return and this stranger’s identity? How, in this book, is Penelope behaving “like Odysseus”? Have book 23 read by class on Monday.
FRIDAY: GREEN DAY
The Odyssey does not end with the reunification of Odysseus and Penelope. Next week we will take read the two final books of the poem and think about what the poem is about.
Week 1 Syllabus: April 6 forward
WOULD ODYSSEUS EVER BE ABLE to return to Ithaca without the help of women? Consider the help he gets from women, both divine and mortal. Goddesses care for and protect him (Athena of course, Calypso certainly, and even Circe once compelled to). Once he arrives at an island with civilized hosts, the princess Nausicca takes him into her care and protection, bathes, clothes, feeds him and guides him into the King and Queen’s presence. It is these people who ultimately convey Odysseus, sleeping, onto the shores of Ithaca. And this is even before arriving home. What is the role of women in the Odyssey? Are they scheming traitors who thwart the Olympian gods plans? Are they faithful servants, following their patriarchal orders? Are they ingenious and blithely powerful agents of change, who succeed where men have failed for over a decade?
MONDAY: BLUE DAY
In book 19, we see gender roles reversed. Penelope and the Nurse interrogate the disguised beggar, but despite his best attempts at deception, the Nurse knows his true identity. Does Penelope? After taking some initial responses on Zoom, we’ll start a writing exercise on a google sheet.
In book 20, again the women seem to take control as Athena and Eurycleia prepare for the suitor’s slaughter. How do these two manage events to go against the suitors, and in Penelope’s interest? And why are the other men so blind to what is clearly being presaged? We will return to the google sheet, adding more evidence for the same writing assignment.
HW: Review your annotations for books 19 and 20, gathering evidence . Have four quotes (2 per book) gathered by class on Wednesday.
TUESDAY: GREEN DAY
The google sheet “Women in the Odyssey” has been shared with you via the google drive. Check either the google drive or the google sheet application to find the spreadsheet that I shared with you.
This assignment is to be completed in the classroom’s google sheet, NOT Canvas.
WEDNESDAY: BLUE DAY
Read through the posted quotes on the shared google sheet.
Read the following article by Prof. Wilson about the role of women in the Odyssey.
With the remaining time in class and using homework time today and tomorrow, read and annotate book 21.
THURSDAY: GREEN DAY
Book 21 is the final act leading to the killing of everyone connected to the Suitors, as both Odysseus and Telemachus take their revenge. As you read, pay attention to subtext, or the story hidden behind the more obvious plot. How much is Penelope aware of, and how much is Odysseus in control of, in respect the orchestrating the big reveal (that Odysseus has returned, and he wields a deadly vengeance)? Next week, when we return to class, we will discuss the reader’s view of events that lead up to the Suitors’ slaughter.
FRIDAY
No classes today for Good Friday, and other religious holidays.
Office Hours on Zoom
ON GREY DAYS, my office hours are 12:50-1:50 pm. When you use the following zoom link, you will be added into a waiting room, and I will meet with students individually. Generally, we can talk as long as you like, but if there is another student waiting, I will attempt to limit conferences to five minutes.
You can access the Zoom meeting by checking announcements in our canvas course. As always, I will NOT publish these zoom links publicly.
Zoom meetings
Need help connecting to zoom? Here’s a link to New Trier IT department’s student guide.
Looking for the link to the Zoom meeting? It’s in your school email, AND also appears on the Canvas syllabus.
As a matter of course, I will NOT publish links to our classroom zoom meetings on my public, squarespace syllabus. I WILL send links via your school email, and I WILL add them to the syllabus on Canvas. Please know that those meetings will only be accessible during the published times, usually about 10 minutes before the listed start time.
Looking forward to seeing your faces! And remember—this will be an extension of our classroom. All comments and images shared via Zoom must be classroom appropriate, and are subject to NTHS disciplinary code.
Week 10 Syllabus: March 31 forward
GREETINGS, ONLINE SCHOLARS! Our administration is attempting to make online learning more manageable for all of us, creating a split-day schedule. In a typical week, our English class falls on BLUE days, and except for shortened weeks, we will run class twice a week. GREEN days are when your other classes meet. And GREY days are set aside for longer term projects, and office hours where you can communicate with teachers (via email, phone, video-conferencing). To help you manage this schedule, I will keep our calendar as it has been both here on Squarespace and on Canvas. I hope this well help you better manage your time, and give you more time to focus in the weeks to come.
MONDAY: NO CLASSES
No classes will meet today. Teachers are conferencing with the Administration and making adjustments to their courses to fit with the new schedule the Administration has created.
I should have the new syllabus up by seven pm on Monday night.
TUESDAY: OUR FIRST GREY DAY
Students should check the syllabus for week-long assignments and activities . You have this entire day to plan for your own learning.
The English Department will keep office hours on GREY days from 12:50-1:50. I will either be responding to email live, or be hosting a live Q&A via Zoom, or possibly both.
Teachers are using this day for planning the week and grading materials.
HW: In this new model, you will be more in control of determining what you need to do and when. Yes, there will still be specific deadlines for assignments. But Grey days are set aside for you to plan your own learning.
WEDNESDAY: OUR FIRST BLUE DAY (Periods EB-4)
We will be working on finishing up the last five books of Homer’s Odyssey.Today you will start with a check in on book 18, on canvas. What does the reader learn about Ithaca, as a society, based upon Odysseus’ conflict with the beggar, Idros? Complete this BEFORE our Zoom meeting today.
From 10:10 to 10:40, first period will meet for a Zoom, where we’ll have a classroom wide discussion about communities in crisis.
From 11:20 -1:1:50, second period will meet for a similar large group discussion.
Students will be reading the Odyssey, reading books 19 and 20, and keeping annotations about how Odysseus attempts to save his kingdom. What lessons has Odysseus learned while travelling home from Troy? How are those lessons applicable in Ithaca, his kingdom in chaos, his very life—and his family’s lives—in mortal danger?
THURSDAY: OUR FIRST GREEN DAY (Periods EB, and 5-9)
On Green Days, you will working primarily working on Early Bird and Periods five through nine.
There will NOT be specific, homework assignments due on these days. Neither will we have planned, classroom activities.
Plan out your reading between now and next Monday, the next blue day.
FRIDAY: Second Grey Day
From 12:50 to 1:20 today I will be available to take any questions about 3rd quarter grades. You should only reach out for a conference if you see a missing assignment in the canvas gradebook AND if you believe your grade is lower than it should be.
Next week, Monday and Wedensday are blue days, Tuesday and Thursday are green days. No school Friday for the religious holiday, so no grey days next week.
Week 8 Syllabus: March 16 on
NOW THAT WE ARE IN AN ONLINE FORMAT, class will have three parts: a start-of-day check-in, during the day classwork, and homework. The check-in activity will be shorter, and will require you to submit something to Canvas, either a short written response to a prompt, submitting homework, or even a short comprehension quiz. That needs to happen no later than noon. Classroom activities will require you to study either online materials or Homer’s Odyssey. Finally, homework will compliment the daily activity, either deepening students’ understanding, or extending that understanding beyond the text.
MONDAY
Check-in activity: Short writing assignment on Book 13, to be posted on Canvas.
For class: Read (and listen) to the last part of Hamilton’s Mythology handout, an overview of the Greek pantheon of gods.
HW: Read and annotate book 14 for class tomorrow. Why must Odysseus go first to the forest and to the swineherd's hut rather than to his own palace? Why does Odysseus conceal his identity? Is there symbolic significance to this situation? Are the false stories Odysseus tells in Ithaca somewhat revealing about the reality of his own life?
TUESDAY
Check-in activity: Download and read the “Odyssey Overview” pdf on Canvas.
For class: Access the google sheet from either your google drive app (shared with me) or via your school email account. Today you are adding 2-3 quotes from the last three books we’ve read, 12-14.
HW: Reading book 15 tonight for homework. Notice the close proximity of Odysseus and Telemachus 's return home. Can the perils and lessons that Telemachus 's learns about be somehow compared to that Odysseus's faced on his travels, and will face here at home? What is the significance of the help that Telemachus gives to the fugitive prophet Theoclymenos?
WEDNESDAY
Class check-in: Download “Odysseus at Ithaca” and begin working on key plot/thematic points for Odysseus’s return home.
For class: read an annotate book 16. What do you think about the fact that Odysseus reveals his identity to his son? What of their plot to kill the suitors? Is it justified? Does it accord well with the principles of justice set forth in the Odyssey ? What do you think of Athena's eagerness to see the suitors killed? Is that proper in a divinity? Is Athena, the goddess of wisdom, wise?
HW: For homework: add notes from books 14 and 15 to the “Odysseus at Ithaca” worksheet.
THURSDAY
Class check-in: Written response to assignment question about identity.
For class: Finish adding quotes to your order/xenia google-sheet. You should have finished adding five quotes by 3 pm today.
HW: Read and annotate book 17. Why does Odysseus wish to go to his own palace disguised as a beggar? What does the beggar disguise symbolize? Why is it important for him to show patience and self-restraint, even when hit and insulted? What is the meaning of the death of Argos, Odysseus's old hunting dog? Consider the advice of Athena to Odysseus (lines 470-473). Is that a consistent statement? Does it reveal an internal contradiction?
Friday
Class check-in: Written evaluation of the online, remote-learning experience so far. Please limit your observations to our course, not other courses you might be taking.
Read and annotate book 18. What is the symbolic meaning of Odysseus's confrontation with the beggar Iros? Why does Odysseus warn Amphinomos about the danger of his return and vengeance (lines 157-187)?
HW: No homework over Spring Break.
Remote Learning Next Week
Continutng with Homer’s Odyssey, but moving to Canvas…
As we anticipated, we will run class next week from our canvas web page. The course syllabus and materials will shift to that platform effective as-of this posting (3/13/2020). I will likely have next week’s syllabus posted either Friday or Saturday in preparation for next week’s curricular activities.
Week 7 syllabus: March 9 forward
ODYSSEUS RETURNS TO ITHICA this week, but not before Poseidon reinforces his divine lesson. After burying Elpenor, Odysseus will face the Sirens, the Prowling Rocks, Scylla and Charybdis before drifting, for seven days, at sea, alone. Only then will he arrive on Scheria where he discovers the perfect community, and only then will the gods allow him the help he needs to reach home. Interestingly enough, it is only when Odysseus takes responsibility for his actions that he is allowed to land on an island that respects nostos and the gods, a community of good order, that he’ll be able to return home. Coincidence?
MONDAY
No class because of late start schedule.
HW: Finish reading Book 12 for class on Wednesday.
TUESDAY
Returning to the Underworld. We will spend some time examining the advice Odysseus receives from the shades he encounters while in the land of the dead, and then students will write A-A-B-B stanzas describing what he learns from each, matching the meter of “The People in Your Neighborhood.” How do these lessons fit the same lessons about community and responsibility that we began studying last week?
HW: Book 12 should be read by class tomorrow. Every person in your group should write a verse for ONE additional person Odysseus meets in the Underworld.
WEDNESDAY
Discussion of book 12.
HW: Start book 13 tonight, due by Friday. Pay careful attention to how Odysseus returns to Ithaca, to whom he speaks, and his course of action while there. Nothing is accidental! Almost every decision, every action is purposeful and carries symbolic importance. For example—why does he stay with the Swineherd?
THURSDAY
Returning to selections from Edith Hamilton’s Mythology. We will pick up where we left off, with the Olympian gods, re-starting with Artemis.
HW: Finishing book 13 of Homer’s Odyssey.
Friday
Odysseus will return to a hostile environment. Keep in mind all the encounters he’s had on mysterious islands over the last ten years; these experiences haven’t exactly been positive. So here he’s returning to another island, facing his greatest unknown: what will his kingdom be like, twenty years after his departure? Will his son be alive? Will his wife have remarried? What has happened in Ithaca over the last two decades?
HW: Read Book 14 over the weekend. How is the swineherd loyal to Odysseus? How does he demonstrate responsibility to his community via his actions?
Week 6 syllabus: March 2 on
A SINCERE THANKS TO MS. THINNES FOR HER EXPERTISE and assistance while I was recovering from surgery. And a very deep and sincere thanks to all the well wishes and acts of kindness I’ve received from you, my students! Your thoughtful and compassionate notes meant a lot to me over the past month.
MONDAY
Last day of class with Ms. Thinnes. While the course syllabus will continue on squarespace, I will endeavor to use the gradebook that she set up on canvas. Today you will begin discussing book 10, Odysseus and his men trapped on Circe’s isle.
HW: Finish reading Book 10.
TUESDAY
Mr. Easton returns! We will step back from Homer’s Odyssey for a moment to watch the first 45 minutes of a documentary, Greece: Crucible of a Civilization. We will take notes on the life of Cleisthenes, an early Greek leader who forsook his aristocratic heritage and lead Athens to democratic meritocracy and ultimately to empire.
HW: Identiy FIVE quotes from what we have read so far that illustrate the theme of a) community and b) responsibility (that’s five total, NOT five for each.) Have book 11 read for class on Friday.
WEDNESDAY
We will spend part of class finishing the section of the documentary on the life of Cleisthenes, and part of class on a google-sheet that lists the passages you’ve identified as being thematically important.
HW: Have book 11 read for Friday’s discussion.
THURSDAY
Finsihing our discussion of book 10. Odysseus leaves more bodies on the island. Who is left behind here, and what do we learn about their demise? Why must Odysseus land on these seemingly random islands and encounter these mythical monsters/deities? We will spend the last 10 minutes of class reviewing our community/responsibility quotes.
HW: Begin work on writing assignment, due Monday. Have book 11 finished for class tomorrow.
Friday
Odysseus in the underworld!
HW: Reading book 12 for class on Monday, and book 13 for class on Tuesday..
Update
Scholars:
Everything with my surgery went well. Dr. Helfand said that everything about me was textbook and entirely boring—good news for me, certainly! I’m home from the hospital and resting. Later this week I’ll touch base with Mrs. Thinnes to check in on class.
Just wanted to pass on the good news to you all. Wishing I was there in class,
Mr. E
University of Pennsylvania Resources
Their page includes timelines, background, maps, even pronunciation guides.
Though older than you, this Penn web site is a very good resource for readers of Homer’s epic poetry. Click on the link above to explore these resources.
Background on Greek Gods, Goddesses
The above video is more general, and includes an overview of Hesiod’s Theogany (the story of how the Greek gods come to be established).
This video is a more comprehensive overview of the Greek pantheon.
Audio for Fagles trans. of Homer's Odyssey
We are reading the Robert Fagles translation of Homer’s Odyssey. The cover above will link you to audio files of the text. Feel free to read along with this audio. That may help with pronunciation of names. However, you MUST be reading physical text while using this audio. It supplements the text, and can not replace it.
Final Exam
Your final will take place at 12:00 noon on
Tuesday, January 21
in room C-224, Northfield
Bring pens, pencils, water, tissue, and of course your independent novel. I will collect and grade annotations after the final, so bring your book. You can’t use it during the essay portion if you do not have it.
Week 18 syllabus: January 6 forward
YOU BEGIN YOUR INDEPENDENT reading in earnest this week. Remember, the primary grade for this project with be your marginal notes made while reading. These should include a) circling vocabulary words and language that reveal the author’s purpose; b) questions you have about the writer’s lesson for the reader; c) notes on the main character’s social conflict. For this last item, consider the following: What problem(s) does the main character(s) face in his/her/their world? What lesson does the author want the reader to learn about society via this story? Where does the author directly comment on the novel’s larger social lesson(s)? It's upon these notes that the grade for this project will be largely based.
MONDAY
Reviewing your notes on the shared google document that describes your three chosen novels. We will revisit the “reviews” aspect of that document, revising it to include what critics have said about the themes and lessons within the novel. We will then turn to some reading of the independent novel(s).
HW: Create a reading schedule for the next two weeks. Your target date for finishing the novel is January 20 (two weeks from today).
TUESDAY
Starting today in the same reading circles we were in yesterday. We will start by checking period one AND two lists for other students who may have researched our novel. We will then use the library Proquest database to locate a longer, 300 word (or longer) review of our novel. Reading and analyzing that longer review for the novel’s themes, copying theme notes on inside cover of your novel.
HW: Reading independent novel.
WEDNESDAY
In the library to begin reading and annotating your novel. Your marginal notes need to tackle the novel’s theme. Pay attention to the author as puppet-master. Where are the strings the author ties and pulls at, manipulating the story? Where does your author reveal the true message and lesson of her story? These are the passages you want to mark, and where you should explicate your thinking as a reader.
HW: Continuing your reading of independent novel.
THURSDAY
I’ve created a new google speadsheet that students can use to summarize—in your own words—FOUR reviews of your independent novel. That spreadsheet has been shared with you via email. The first two reviews can come from Novellist Plus, while the remaining two should come from the Proquest database of magazines and newspapers. If there’s a particularly excellent sentence in the review about your novel’s theme, please quote it directly in your summary. Otherwise, the summary of what the review says about your novel’s theme should be IYOW.
HW: Continue to read your independent novel.
Friday
In the library for a second day of reading.
HW: Guess what? Read your independent novel.
Week 16 syllabus: December 9 on
WRITING A COMPARISON ESSAY is superficially simple. “An apple is crunchy, while an orange is juicy,” does compare the two; however, this comparison is superficial. So there’s more to writing one of these beyond creating a t-chart. How might we compare the friendships of Gene and Finny, and of Al and Birdy? How does one write about more than similarities and differences, “Gene and Finny are X, whereas Al and Birdy are Y?” We’ll begin writing such a paper this week.
MONDAY
Hammering out initial thoughts about Al and Birdy. Their friendship is an unlikely one. Birdy is bookish, silent, an ornithologist in training who shuns his peers. Al is an exceptional wrestling star, sexually flirtatious and a natural leader. Why, then, do they become close friends? What is at the heart of their friendship? Go beyond identifying ONE trait or ONE event that might connect the two. Answer this question using several examples from the film to support your answer: “Just as gravity draws heavenly bodies toward one another, what draws Al and Birdy together, and keeps them together, as friends?” Use direct quotes from the film, using the posted clips to obtain exact direct quotes (word-for-word what is said) and indirect quotes (your illustrative language, describing what happens in the film).
HW: A typed and PRINTED copy of your answer is due tomorrow. It should have more than one paragraph. It should have more than one direct, and one indirect, quote (two or more paragraphs, two or more quotes).
TUESDAY
Reading circles. We will begin peer-reading and providing feedback on the printed copies of your written answers. What has the writer missed? We will spend one reading-round on content, and one reading-round on style.
HW: Revise. Bring in another, revised answer to the Birdy question to class tomorrow, printed.
WEDNESDAY
Just as we did with Al and Birdy, students will begin writing abotu Gene and Finny. What draws these two Devon students together, beyond the obvious? We will begin writing these comparisons in class today. Same guidelines as the Birdy version, with the exception of indirect evidence (you’re quoting a novel, not a film, so no IYOW quotes.
HW: Typed and PRINTED version of this Knowles comparison between Finny and Gene is due tomorrow in class.
THURSDAY
Continue watching the film Birdy. During the film, I will have writing conferences with student.
HW: Reading through the independent reading assignment. Tomorrow we are meeting in the library for a presentation on the novel choices you have. You will also complete an evaluation of your annotations on A Separate Peace, due tomorrow.
Friday
In Northfield library to select and begin reading your novel choice. I will collect your annotations on A Separate Peace.
HW: Purchase and read the first chapter of your selected novel by class on Monday.
Week 15 syllabus: December 2 forward
WHAT DOES KNOWLES WANT HIS READER to know or understand better as a consequence of reading his novel? That’s the framework we’ll use to write our first, longer paper for English class. We will subsequently compare the book to another work, in this case, a film version of a novel, in order to deepen our thinking about Knowles’ novel. This paper will be due before Winter Break, and will be the last major writing assignment for the quarter (though, as always, you will revise it). This week we will tie up some lose strings from A Separate Peace, including some discussion, emblem analysis, paragraph revision, and even some new artwork for your own benefit.
MONDAY
Revisiting the emblems. We will revisit the emblems for Brinker Hadley. If we had to make emblems for Gene and Finny, what would they look like? Class wide brainstorming and note taking. We will then return to the paragraph notes we were taking before Thanksgiving break. Where do you see indefinite pronoun or collective nouns? Where are there excessive helping (to be) verb forms?
HW: Finish reading the body paragraphs about Finny, marking both vague language and the to be verb worms.
TUESDAY
Watching the film “Birdy,” which describes two teen-aged friends living on the East Coast during the Vietnam War, one of whom becomes injured and requires the help of his friend. Sound familiar? It should. We will use the film as a lens to discover deeper truths about A Separate Peace. During the film, I will meet with students to discuss revisions to the Finny paragraph which should be revised by Monday.
HW: Begin revising your body paragraph on Finny. You will want to develop your current claim, adding nuance and complexity to the idea you initially wrote about. Revisions are due Monday. For those of you NOT in class, on Identity Project, please watch this 20 minute clip of the film Birdy, located here.
WEDNESDAY
Continue watching the film Birdy. During the film, I will have writing conferences with student.
HW: Revising your paragraphs on Finny.
THURSDAY
Continue watching the film Birdy. During the film, I will have writing conferences with student.
HW: Revising your paragraphs on Finny.
Friday
Finishing the film.
HW: Finny paragraphs are due on Monday.