Selections from Charlie Chaplin's "Modern Times"
Watch the selected scenes from Chaplin’s masterpiece. As you watch, study the film and look for the relationship between machine’s and the title character.
Film Clip from Pixar's "Wall-E"
Click on the image above to watch a scene from Wall-E. Where, in the clip, do you see overtones and themes from Forster’s “The Machine Stops”?
Week 6 Syllabus: September 23
HOW DOES VASHTI’S EXPERIENCE ALLIGN WITH CAMPBELL’S hero journey? And her son’s, Kuno’s experience? There may be within any story multiple heroes, and multiple journeys which do or do not conform the the monomyth in varying degrees. Both Vashti and Kuno experience clear departures from the known world, moving into the unknown. Likewise, both experience a symbolic death-and-rebirth in a cave/tunnel like darkness—Vashti in the airship, travelling to see her son, and Kuno in the air-tubes that lead to Earth’s surface. However, neither return to the known world with an “elixer,” or new knowledge that saves either society or humanity. In fact, everyone dies! What, then, should we learn from this story without final truth?
MONDAY, September 23
Checking in homework, study guide to “The Machine Stops.”
Reading and annotating a New Yorker essay by Oliver Sacks, “The Machine Stops.” What argument is Sacks making about technology?
Writing a discussion response in Canvas using direct and indirect evidence.
Reviewing results from the STAR reading test, and how to interpret that data.
HW: Read through other classmate’s responses. What did they capture that you missed? What did you add to the conversation that they missed?
WEDNESDAY, September 25
Read and annotate Brautigan’s poem, “All Watched Over By Machines of Loving Grace.” We will do that by reading it aloud three times, first just to listen to, second time to take notes on what you notice, and the third time to look for patterns.
What argument does Brautigan make about technology? In class discussion (NOT Great Books method). Add to your annotations.
HW: Post your answer to the discussion thread in Canvas on the poem. After posting, read other scholars’ responses.
THURSDAY, September 26
In the first half of class, watching selections from Charlie Chaplain’s epic quasi-silent film, Modern Times. We will start by reading an introduction to the film, written by Roger Ebert.
In the second half of class, watching selection of the film Wall-E.
Reading a poem, “Poem 114: Machines” by Michael Donaghy.
Then, wordplay! In small groups, working on the crossword.
HW: Finish your annotations and the Q&A on “The Machine Stops” for class on Tuesday.
Week 5 Syllabus: September 16
HAVING FINISHED ALL THE ADMINISTRIVIA of classroom expectations, the academic integrity policy, and the STAR reading assessment, and having covered our classroom routines in respect to classroom discussions, submitting, discussing and revising our writing, we can get into our short story unit. We are starting with a 100+ year old science-fiction story by the great English author E.M. Forster, author of A Passage to India. We will examine the story through the lens of Campbell’s hero journey, while practicing our annotation techniques: a) circling vocabulary, b) writing our questions, and c) taking written notes on the HJ and its parts in margins. Later we will read “Chelkash” by the Russian author Gorky, LeGuin’s classic “Those Who Walk Away from Omelas,” and others.
MONDAY, September 16
Lecture on annotating, carefully re-reading the last two pages of part one. What are the allusions to “blind”ness, humanity’s cultural history, and the grandeur of nature?
Re-reading part one with the audio and annotating together.
In small groups, students will begin working on the study guide questions.
HW: Finish the study guide questions for part one on your own, typing them up. These will be submitted on Canvas once we are done with the entire story.
WEDNESDAY, September 18
Students will listen to part two of the story, “The Machine Stops.”
In small groups (or individually), students will begin working on the study guide for part two.
On the passage, “man is the measure of all things…”
HW: Finish the study guide questions on part two.
Spend 45 minutes this weekend working on the crossword. No more time, no less. You MAY work with other scholars (or those not enrolled in our class)
THURSDAY, September 19
As we did with part one, we will examine a selection from part two for close reading and analysis.
Q&A around parts one and two. Something you didn’t understand? Want to know more about?
Moving into part three. Once done, we will work on the study guides.
HW: Study guide is due in Canvas on Monday.
Week 4 Syllabus: September 9
JOSEPH CAMPBELL’S MONOMYTH was first presented in his book The Hero with 1,000 Faces. He describes many of the common features of myths from around the world, building on his work with Carl Jung (who developed the idea of archetypes) and Jung’s teacher, Sigmund Freud (the father of modern psychology, who developed the idea of the id, ego, and superego). Campbell’s monomyth—also known as the hero’s journey—is grounded by the idea that all stories worth telling have some common patterns. He describes a hero undergoing departure—leaving the known world, initiation—transformational challenges and changes, and return—re-entering the known world with the prize won during the journey. We will learn the basics of the hero journey this week.
MONDAY, September 9
Lecture on Campbell’s theory. We will review an outline created by Christopher Volger in his book The Writer’s Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers.
We will review several clips that illustrate the concept of departure (the call to adventure, and crossing the threshold), and one clip that illustrates death and rebirth.
Ending class by reviewing the homework….
HW: Transfer your notes on the Campbell-Moyers interview into top-half of the 11”x17” note sheet provided in class. Do NOT do the bottom half—we will do that together, in class.
WEDNESDAY, September 11
Safety day. I will review what we do (and where we go) in the even of environmental, building, or human emergencies.
Star reading assessment: https://global-zone50.renaissance-go.com/welcomeportal/737639
Once done, review these examples of hero journey illustrations. You will create a version of these for Haroun’s hero journey,
HW: Students will create their own visual illustration of Haroun’s hero journey, based on Volger’s outline of the monomyth. Finish your illustration of Haroun’s hero journey. Use words. Use visuals. Make it your own interpretation of his journey! Due Thursday in class, on paper.
THURSDAY, September 12
We will write an in-class analysis of Haroun’s hero journey—specifically his departure and crossing the threshold—before we move into our first short story.
STAR reading assessment.
Reading and annotating “The Machine Stops,” a dystopian sci-fi store from the early 20th century.
Finish reading part two of the story, annotating while you read for the stages of the hero journey.
Joseph Campbell's "Hero Journey"
Joseph Campbell, seen below in the 1950s, breaks reporter Bill Moyer’s brain in an interview about his “hero journey” concept. For homework, watch the video linked below, and take notes on Haroun’s experiences, and how they fit into Campbell’s concept, the “monomyth.”
Week 3 Syllabus: September 2-5
WE WILL FINISH GOING OVER some of the administriva of learning at New Trier this week. We will practice annotating by re-reading chapter three of Haroun and the Sea of Stories, “The Dull Lake.” We will vote on, discuss, and then rewrite the paragraphs on the poem, “Doors Opening, Closing.” We will also write our second paragraph, this one about Haroun and the hero journey. We will also review course expectations and discuss “academic integrity,” a phrase here which means, “cheating.”
TUESDAY, September 3
Reading aloud a NYT article on the attack on Rushdie, practicing annotation technique:
Circle vocabulary words;
What questions does the writer pose or discuss in the article?
What does the article say about the importance of story-telling or censorship?
Watching the third interview with Rushdie, this one from last week’s 60 Minutes about the attack and his new book, Knife.
Practice annotating, this time from the summer. Students will listen to the audio from the novel (click here) while re-annotating chapter three of the novel. (Chapter three begins at 42:30 in the above track, and goes until 1:04:30)
When annotating, students should a) circle vocabulary words—not just words you don’t know, but also words that Rushdie is carefully choosing for a purpose; b) write our questions that you have, as a reader, about what you’re reading—preferably about theme, not plot; and c) what this chapter says about story-telling and censorship.
HW: Finish writing your paragraph at the end of the article for class on Tuesday. Remember, include at least one quote from the article, and at least one from the novel.
“Reading Assessment” questions on chapter 3: 1st period, these are due on Thursday. 3rd period, these are due on Friday (you will receive them in class, on Thursday).
THURSDAY, September 5
Starting class by reading through the “Academic Integrity” policy. We will review the student handbook and talk about cheating. After, students will sign off on the official, “I know where the policy is” form. We will also watch various film clips on the theme of “cheating.”
Listening to an NPR interview about Salman Rushdie, the author of our summer novel. That story is here.
Moving into Joseph Campbell’s hero journey, and thinking about how his stages of departure, initiation, and return apply to Haroun’s adventure.
Post your "The Man Who Swallowed a Bird" paragraphs here
On the back of the poem, you have already written a bit about the poem, what it means and what the audience for the poem should get. What is the poem about? What should we learn from it?
Type what you’ve already written (or write about what the poem means) —having reviewed and corrected mistakes that you see—and then copy it from a Google doc and share it on this blog entry.
Post that as a comment below.
Remember to type your full name (whatever you go by in class) and your NT email address. Leave the URL space blank and then select <Post Comment>.
Audio for summer reading, Haroun and the Sea of Stories
Click on the image above to access the audio files for the novel. If not already complete, you should have the summer reading finished asap.
Week 1 & 2 Syllabus: August
WELCOME TO NEW TRIER HIGH SCHOOL ENGLISH. Each weekly syllabus will begin with a short paragraph that describes where we’ve been, what we’ve learned, where we’re headed, and what’s the big picture. The first two weeks, we’ll establish routines—how to annotate, how to participate in discussions, how to submit writing here on Squarespace or on Canvas. I will also include reminders—such as this: bring your copy of Haroun & the Sea of Stories to class starting week two. If you haven’t finished it, get it read sooner than later.
WEDNESDAY: August 21
Introduction to Canvas & Squarespace.
How to read a poem.
Reading and annotating, “Doors Opening, Closing.”
HW: re-read the poem, and annotate for a) What do I notice? and b) What does it (the poem) mean?
THURSDAY, August 22
Picture day!
Reviewing poetry rules.
Lecture on “Great Books discussion method”
Discussion of poem (practicing routines, pre-post discussion writing, note taking)
HW: If you have not done so, finish reading Salman Rushdie’s novel over Friday and the weekend.
MONDAY, August 26
Reviewing course expectations, and posting your signed form into Canvas, as an assignment.
Killer Kane and the growth mindset.
In-class writing assignment; ¶ on “The Man Who Swallowed a Bird”
Using Squarspace to submit your (and to read others’) writing.
HW: Use “Genius Scan” after taking a picture of your signature of the Course Expectations, to submit the assignment into Canvas. More on “Genius Scan” and how to use it can be found here.
Also, post your paragraph on “The Man Who Swallowed a Bird” onto Squarespace. Read ALL of these paragraphs, and choose the three best (in your opinion—from either 1st or 3rd period).
WEDNESDAY, August 28
How we share (and comment upon) writing, publicly.
Reading and circling vocabulary (annotation technique).
Voting on “best” paragraphs on the poem, and reviewing those.
HW: For homework, scholars will review an Rushdie essay about the novel’s connection to Frank Baum’s children’s novel The Wizard of Oz and the American film by the same name. Read page 9 through the middle of page 16 in “The Wizard of Oz,” by Salmon Rusdie.
THURSDAY, August 29
Reviewing argument structure in body ¶s—”What I think, and why I think it.”
Reviewing the ¶s we already read in class.
Once done with our three, in class, writers, we will look at three ¶s from other class, in small group.
Revising your new paragraph.
Watching two videos about our summer reading author, Salman Rushdie.
HW: Post your revised paragraph as a REPLY to your first draft. If you haven’t finished reading the selection on “Wizard of Oz,” do that.
Greetings, Class of 2028!
Searching for books that you will need for our English class? Seek no further. You can purchase these here, via our NT bookstore.
Finals
Plan on arriving at the room for the final 15 minutes early. That will give you time enough to get a snack, water, use the washroom if needed, and relax before the test. Please bring pen (for annotating) and pencil (for the scan-tron multiple choice portion of the test). You should also bring a book for silent reading for when you are done with the test.
Final room and times are as follows:
Summer Reading
Yes, you have been assigned summer reading for the 24-25 school year. Click on the image below to access that assignment (most of you are enrolled in Sophomore English 2, three level). Apart from that…keep reading! For fun, for information, for investigative purposes. Nary any other skill will serve you lifelong as reading will. Practice.
Week 10 Syllabus: May 28
ACT FOUR IS WELL SUMMARIZED BY 1988 DJ JAZZY JEFF and Fresh Prince’s song, “Parents Just Don’t Understand,” insomuch as we see the Lord and Lady Capulet make a fierce 180 degree turnaround, in respect to their daughter. At the end of Act 3, Capulet threatens that Juliet can “hang, beg, starve, die in the streets, for, by my soul, I’ll ne’er acknowledge thee.” Yet when his suicidal daughter seems to have taken her life, he becomes somberly, even morbidly reflective: “Death lies on her like an untimely frost upon the sweetest flower of all the field. … the night before thy wedding day hath Death lain with thy wife. There she lies, flower as she was, deflowered by him. Death is my son-in-law; Death is my heir. My daughter he hath wedded. I will die and leave him all. Life, living, all is Death’s.” In line’s like these, we see Shakespeare’s view of mortality emerging through the plot of the play. Clearly, this is a writer who has experienced death, is familiar with losing a child. Can we say the same about Romeo and Juliet’s love? Do we see the poet’s view of love—forbidden, and love divided by parental strife—in what Romeo or Juliet says? What do you make of their fascination and deep commitment to one another? Is their extreme behavior similar to their parents?
MONDAY May 27
No school.
HW: Read act five. Pay attention to extremes and opposites in your marginal notes! Finish the study guide for act four.
TUESDAY, May 28
Watching the 2009 Globe version of act four, and the Zefferelli and Lehrman versions of act five. (Everyone dies in the end, except the adults—the live on).
Small group work on act five questions. When done, I will collect the guides.
HW: There are five remaining annotation grades: study guides for act 1, act 2, act 3, acts 4-5, and your notes in script.
When I collect books, I will pay special attention to your written-in-the-book notes on the following passages:
Prologue, act 1 (7)
Princes speech, act 1.1 (15)
Mercutio’s speech on love, act 1.4 (47-9)
Romeo & Juliet’s meeting, act 1.5 (53-61)
The Balcony scene, act 2.2 (69-83)
Friar Lawrence’s soliloguy, act 2.3 (83-5)
Juliet’s soliloquy, act 2.5 (103-5)
Mercutio & Tybalt’s deaths, act 3.1 (121-125)
Prince’s decree, act 3.1 (129)
Juliet’s soliloquy, act 3.2 (129-131)
Juliet’s response to slaying of Tybalt, act 3.2 (135-139)
Romeo’s response to banishment. act 3.3 (143)
Friar Lawrence chastising Romeo, act 3.3 (149-51)
Romeo & Juliet’s last meeting (while alive), act 3.5 (155-161)
Juliet threatens suicide and Friar’s plan, act 4.1 (181-85)
Juliet drinks the potion, act 4.3 (191-3)
All of act 5 (211-243)
THURSDAY, May 30
Watching the Globe presentation of Act 5.
Watching “The Condensed Shakespeare” performance of R&J.
While doing so, I will collect and grade annotations in your Folger’s edition of R&J.
Time permitting we will watch part one and part two of John Greene’s crash course of the play.
HW: Our final will be in the following room(s):
Period 1 in room B-301, Wednesday June 5, 10-11:30 am
Period 4 in room B-313, Wednesday June 5, 10-11:30 am
Week 8 Syllabus: May 13
IN ACT TWO, THE LOVE ADVICE RUN DEEP AND flies fast, as fast as Romeo and Juliet’s so-called-love grows. Shakespeare uses Mercutio’s criticism of Romeo’s childish infatuation with women in 2.1 by making fun of his behavior, as a lover: “Madman! Passion! Lover!
Appear thou in the likeness of a sigh.” Friar Lawrence’s description of natural medicines, where he says the most good, healing herb can become poison if used uncontrollable, is a metaphor for Romeo & Juliet’s love: “For naught so vile that on the Earth doth live But to the Earth some special good doth give; Nor aught so good but, strained from that fair use, Revolts from true birth, stumbling on abuse. Virtue itself turns vice, being misapplied, And vice sometime by action dignified.” He gives similar advice for moderation when the good Friar tells Romeo to literally slow his roll :“Wisely and slow. They stumble that run fast.” The Nurse joins in, repeats this good council to Romeo , directly telling him that “if you should lead her in a fool’s paradise, as they say, if were a very gross kind of behavior. … [I]f you should deal double with her, truly it were an ill thing to be offered to any gentlewoman, and very weak dealing.” Why can’t Romeo hear the warnings his friend and his adult advisor(s) provide?
MONDAY May 13
Collecting the study guide for act two.
Watching the Globe Theater production of act two.
Starting our study guide for act three.
HW: Finish scenes 1 through 3 for act two.
WEDNESDAY, May 15
Taking a close look at Act 3, scenes one and two. The killing of Mercutio and Tybalt.
Time permitting, we will also watch the actor Simon Cowell perform the balcony scene, in a biographical one-man show about Shakespeare’s life and work. It’s pretty amazing.
HW: Work on the Act 3 study guide.
THURSDAY, May 16
Today we will examine scenes three, four and five in Act 3. We will watch both the Zeffereli and the Lehrman performances of these scenes.
Watching 3.3-5, the 1968 film (starting at 1:27, and ending at 1:47)
Watching 3.3-5, the Baz Lehrman film (starting at 1:09:30 and ending at 1:26:00)
Small group work on the Act 3 study guide. If students finish early, perform aloud Act 4 together.
HW: Read act four. Pay attention to extremes and opposites in your marginal notes!
Week 7 Syllabus: May 6
IN ACT ONE, NOTICE THAT KEY CHARACTERS discuss death and it’s horrible impact on their lives. Lord Capulet first mentions death when he tells Paris that all his children, save Juliet, are dead: “[T]oo soon marred are [girls] so early made [into brides]. Earth hath swallowed all my hopes but she. She’s the hopeful lady of my earth” (I.ii.: 13-15). He is clearly affected by the death of a child, and losing Juliet will be the worst loss yet, because she is his only living child. Similarly, the Nurse mentions that he child—who was exactly the same age as Juliet—died when she was a baby. Lady Capulet insists that Juliet is only 13, and the Nurse replied, “I’ll lay fourteen on my teeth. … How long is it till Lammastide. … Come Lammas Eve at night shall she be fourteen. Susan and she (Godrest all Christian souls!) were of an age. Well, Susan is with God; She was too good for me” (I.iii.19-22). She goes on to talk about remembering when Juliet was a baby, and weening her from breastmilk, and another memory when Juliet, then a toddler, bumped her head. Death is on the mind of all the adults, when love is the only thing Romeo and Juliet can consider. Are they blinded by their love? Or does their optimism better capture what Shakespeare thinks about young love?
MONDAY May 6
Collecting the study guide for act one.
Watching the Globe Theater production of act one.
Starting our study guide for act two.
HW: Finish scenes 1 through 3 for act two.
WEDNESDAY, May 8
Today you are taking the Star reading test for the last time (this year).
Start by either launching the Star app via this icon on your iPad, or by going to this website.
Your username is your 2027XXXX NT id number, and your password is your EIGHT digit birthdate (MMDDYYYY).
Once in, select the reading test icon, and follow the prompts to begin the test. If the test times out, please ask me or the test supervisor to reset the test for you.
When done, you should silently read from act two of Romeo & Juliet (you MAY use earbuds to listen along with the audio).
HW: You will have 30 minutes in class to finish the study guide, but THAT’S ALL. Get most of it done tonight so you can compare notes with your Shakespeare troupe.
THURSDAY, May 9
Spending 30 minutes finishing part of the study guide for Act 2.
We will then break into partners, and practice performing II.ii, the famous balcony scene between Romeo and Juliet, the same night of the Capulet masquerade party.
We will watch the Baz Lehrman version of II.iii, the Friar scene, and Zeffereli version of II.iv, the Mercutio/Nurse scene. We will return to the Lehrman to watch Juliet and the Nurse, II.v.
HW: Read act three. Just as with act one, pay attention to extremes and opposites in your marginal notes!
Exporting your annotated bibliography from NOODLE
Watch the following video:
Then follow these directions to export your annotated bib to word or google doc.
Please bring a printed and stapled copy to class on MONDAY.
Week 6 Syllabus: April 29
THERE ARE THREE PRIMARY INTERPRETATIONS of Shakespeare's tragedy, Romeo & Juliet: 1) scholars who see the play as an indictment of civic responsibility, that the feuding families' hatred cause the tragic death of their children; 2) scholars who see individual responsibility and tragic character flaw within Romeo and Juliet themselves, whose lust and rash desire result in their downfall, and 3) scholars who view the play as an indictment against institutional failure--the church, the politic--who fail to protect young adults from life's harsh reality. These are only three, of course, but are common interpretations. What do YOU think the play is about? What does Shakespeare want YOU to learn from his tragic play?
MONDAY, April 29
Today we will begin a close reading of Act 1.
In small groups, examining I.i and I.ii. Some interpreting of lines, and then writing about their importance in the context of the play.
After quote analysis, answering some study guide questions on scenes one and two.
HW: If you haven’t finished reading Act 1, you should have. Get caught up!
WEDNESDAY, May 1
Watching the 1968 Zefferelli film version of Romeo and Juliet, prologue to act one, and I.i and I.ii.
Small group work on the act one study guide, I.iii.
HW: If you have act one scenes one through three study guide complete, no homework.
THURSDAY, May 2
Watching act one of the Zefferelli film.
Completing the study guide for act one.
Performing the meeting between Romeo and Juliet.
HW: Read act two. Just as with act one, pay attention to extremes and opposites in your marginal notes!