Wednesday, September 4, 2013

Wednesday, September 4th, 2013


Welcome, AP English Peeps!  J
·      Wednesday, September 4th, 2013

Business
Ø  The clipboard is there!  Sign in!

What is MINIMALISM?
Here’s our list thus far:
1.      Short and to-the-point
2.     Lack of details
3.     Sparse punctuation
4.     Short paragraphs
5.     Very small amounts of imagery; but more imagery in Hemingway?
6.    Simple wording
7.     Pronouns instead of proper names
8.     Editing—no quotes around dialogue in Carver; one quote in Hemingway
9.     No info on backgroundhogs
10.   No info on what happens next
11.    …lots of symbolism
12.   …lots of meaning, even though there aren’t lots of words
13.   …makes you think; leaves you with more questions than answers?

Do we have any additions to make at this time?

A Few Words About Minimalism (pages 22-3)
1.      Keeping in mind what we know about Minimalism as a writing style, let’s take a look at an excerpted version of John Barth’s essay on Minimalism.
2.     Read aloud, and discuss as we go.
3.     Literary term for day = _________IRONY___________

How do we get our brains to look at literature—and life in general—in new and illuminating ways?

“Cat in the Rain”, by Ernest Hemingway
1.      What are the FIVE most important words in this story?
a.     Maid
b.    Reading
c.     Importance
d.    Want
e.     Wife
f.      Cat
g.     Hair
h.    Bowed
i.      Small
j.      Rain
k.     Mine
l.      Italy
m.   American
n.    Padrone
o.    Husband
p.    Man
1.      What questions do you have about the story?
Ø        Why does the husband’s name come up only AFTER she comes back from the cat search?
Ø        cat symbols:
                  -Cat symbolized wife
                  -cat symbolizes fulfillment (long hair, love, new clothes)
                  -cat sym. Attention
                  -cat symbolizes the desire to be the master
                  -CAT IS ALL THINGS (Small and tight repetition)
Ø        Does the maid see the wife as the wife sees the cat?
Ø        What is the significance with George and reading?
                  -George speaks to her as though she is a child; dismissive
                  -He does not want to acknowledge possible change
Ø        Girl VS wife? “Girl” when alone, “wife” when with George—How she feels
Ø  PENDING: Cat in the Rain: the Sequel  (Class Story)






2:40--Tableaux (two foursomes and one trio—same groups as last time)
       Get with your group, and create a tableaux.
       We’ll perform the tableaux pieces after you have a few minutes of prep time.

2:50--Vocabulary
1.      Convene the first official meeting of the Vocab War team (red sheet).
2.     Update your Vocab War grids.
3.     Quiz your partner/team over the twelve new vocab words, which should be cut out, then defined on the back.
4.     We will have a pre-quiz tomorrow over the twelve vocab words.
5.     The “for-real” quiz will be Friday.






Welcome to Creative Writing!
Ø  Wednesday, September 4th, 2013

When You Come In
1.      Please initial next to your name on the clipboard.
2.     12,000 grains due on free rice on Monday, 9/9/2013

Free-Write #2
1.      Write for a full ten minutes without stopping.
2.     I’m the only one who will read it.
3.     The topic, genre, and style are yours, but you may use page 10.
Start @ 11:27; ending at 11:37
Put “Free-Write #2” in big letters across the top, as well as the date:  9/4/13

Writing Experiment #4--Earliest Memory
1.      Get out a sheet of notebook paper and something to write with.
2.     Write “WE#4—Earliest Memory” at the top.
3.     Model:  I’m going to tell you my Earliest Memory.  As I share it with you, pay attention to the details I am using.  Write down any details that have to do with the five senses.
a.     Sight
b.    Smell
c.     Taste
d.    Touch
e.     sound

Bathtime
            My brother and I are in the black tub.  He sits at the back of the tub, splashing, and I sit at the front of the tub, running my hands under the water flowing from the silver faucet.   I reach up, and I turn one of the silver knobs all the way to the right.  I clamber out of the tub, and stand dripping on the black furry bathmat.  Steam begins to rise off the water, floating up towards the white ceiling.  The black and white wall tiles start to sweat.
            I turn to look at my brother.  The water is up to his belly, and he holds his arms up and out in front of him, out of the water.  His arms are like skinny white pencils, thin as they are.  Then I see pink; his skin is pink on his chest, and his skin is pink on his neck, and his whole face is turning pink.  He opens his mouth, and he hollers.
            Mom rushes into the bathroom, scoops him out of the tub and wraps him in a black towel. Bathtime is over.

Prepping to Write the Earliest Memory Paragraph
1.      Now you brainstorm some of your earliest memories.  Just make a list.
2.     OR, if you’ve already committed to the early memory you want to write about, list as many details as you can about it.
a.     Sights
b.    Sounds
c.     Textures
d.    Smells
e.     tastes
3.    You pair-share with a partner—chat about your ideas, ask each other questions, talk it out…. (2 minutes)


Typing Your First Draft, and Revising to Second
1.      Now, create a new google doc, and type a paragraph or two about your earliest memory (fifteen-ish minutes) Started: 12:40; ending 12:50-ish?
2.          NOTE:  IF YOU NEED SPELLCHECK, type this in Word, and I’ll show you how to upload it to your google drive later.
3.     If you listen to music, make sure it’s in only one ear.  J
4.     Please doublespace, since this is prose (not a poem).
5.     TELL ME WHEN YOU’RE DONE, PLEASE! 

Asking and Answering Questions
When you finish your paragraph, type these questions at the bottom of your piece.
1.           What colors can I add?
a.         EXAMPLE OF HOW YOUR ANSWER SHOULD LOOK:  I could add the color lavender when I talk about my mom’s shirt.
2.          What textures did I feel?
3.         What sounds did I hear?
4.         What’s my overall feeling about this memory?
5.         Did I learn something from it?
6.         Do I like remembering it?
Ø  Ask yourself these questions, then type your answers under each question.
Ø  After you type your six answers, go back to your paragraph(s), and add any details you need to, based on your answers (2nd draft).    (ten-ish minutes)


Homework

Ø  Freerice for Monday, 12,000 grains


*   *   *   *
Howdy, College-Prep Reading!
Wednesday, September 4th

When You Come In
1.      Sign in.
2.     Pick up extra Vocab War sheets, if need.  (We will form teams today!)
3.     12,000 grains of free rice are due Monday

Backbone Literature:  Greek Mythology

1.     Let’s start with a quiz!  Yay!  J
a.     Number your paper from #1-20, losers!  (…mostly Carly)
b.     You MAY use the family tree (with your eyeballs).

Ø  And then, we are going to hear about THE OFFSPRING!  

Big Idea
Ø  Listen today for resonances, echoes, patterns:
o   Beauty
o   Balance
o   Revenge
o   Jealousy
o   What other motifs (repeated themes) are we hearing?

Barbie Presentations (continued)
1.      Tell a brief story (one minute) about his/her god/goddess, then present the myth Barbie.
2.     We listen the first time through the presentation, then take notes as we went back through the key points. 
3.     The following gods/goddess were presented yesterday, are they are up on the family tree board:
a.     Reha
b.    Cronus
c.     Zeus
d.    Hera
e.     Poseidon
f.      Hades
g.     Hestia
4.     We heard about these gods and goddesses today:
a.     Demeter
b.    Apollo
c.     Artemis
d.    Athena
e.     Ares

Homework
Ø  Study your thirty vocab cards for a quiz tomorrow.

Ø  Play freerice, if you have time.  (12,000 grains due by Monday)

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