Today's Lesson: Book Club forAn Enemy of the People by Henrik Ibsen , Act I. Feel free to comment on the first act in this space. Speak freely with me and each other. Invite friends and family to join! Below, you will find the full text, audiobook, and a performance. Let me know how I can help.
Poem of the Day: "Poems Which Talk Back to Me" by Sharon Olds
Overview and Directions: As discussed, here are five ELA assignments from the English Department to help enrich your time away from school. If you would like to engage with these together, please let me know in the comments section. Some of you mentioned books you would like to read as a group. I can connect students from my five classes for a reading group if you wish. Just shoot me a quick comment so I know you're out there.
I am currently reading: The Waves by Virginia Woolf and Arias by Sharon Olds.
I will add a post on Wednesday and Friday to offer a "Poem of the Day" as well as share some of the reading and work I am doing during this time. Again, if you read a post, please just shoot me a quick comment so I know I am talking to someone.
Attention AP Students: Here is an important update from the A.P. Board regarding the test: Click here. Your class links to the A.P. College Board Classes are below. Most of you joined already. Let me know if you have a problem finding the site. Once you login, you will see that I unlocked all the practice quizzes for you. You should be able to quiz yourself and get results. I did not set time limits, etc., so you can practice as you wish. In the testing situation, you will have roughly 20 minutes for a multiple choice selection and 40 minutes for each essay. I will continue to make posts with helpful A.P. materials for you. Again, leave me comments to let me know how you would like to engage. Zoom, blog, etc.
Learning Activity 34: Write a book review about a book you like by describing the book in such a way to make others want to read it. Record this book talk and share it if you would like with a friend or relative.
Learning Activity 61: Interview any adult about a big, national, “event” from their adolescence. Have them recall a memory of a time when life changed and the whole country/world was impacted. What happened? How did their routines change? How did they get through it? When did they return to “normal”?
Learning Activity 6: Humans are social beings and need contact or perceived contact with others. What are you doing right now to maintain a sense of community due to our distance? What are you doing to maintain a sense of normalcy and routine. Write for ten minutes about this experience and your thinking?
Learning Activity 29: Ideas.Ted.Com with Guy Winch https://ideas.ted.com/author/guy-winch/ peruse and select an article, read and respond with your thoughts and connections. ( I enjoyed, “Dear Guy: I’m incredibly anxious about coronavirus, what can I do?” and also the great video at the end of the article, “We all need to practice emotional first aid.”)
Learning Activity 16: Do a virtual museum tour of the one of the 12 museums highlighted in this article. Choose a piece of art perform a visual analysis using the 4-question protocol:
What do you see?
Where is your attention drawn?
What is there to get (i.e. - what is the meaning of the work)?
What more is there to ask?
Then, write a one-page reflection connecting the piece either to something you’ve read in class (a novel, poem, play, article, etc.) or to one of the essential questions for your grade [insert your grade’s EQs here]. How do these pieces speak to one another? What is the connection between the two, for you?
Today's Lesson: Ghosts by Henrik Ibsen - Mr. P. Reading Act III with Analysis. You may add comments and/or ask questions if you'd further feedback. See text and film below for additional learning expereinces.
Reminder: Look at last Vlog for important info. See brief excerpt, below:
The State of Massachusetts has set guidelines about our learning experiences. At the time of this posting, there will be:
Poem of the Day: “Meeting a Stranger” by Sharon Olds
Today's Lesson: Update from the State of Massachusetts on Learning during this crisis.
Hello my friends,
The State of Massachusetts has set guidelines about our learning experiences. At the time of this posting, there will be:
No directed curriculum
No deadlines
No graded assignments
Please disregard all due dates and work from Friday, March 13th. Do not stress out about your grades, etc. If you would like to complete work, I will accept it, but no one should feel obligated in any way to do work while we are out.
Having said that, I will provide resources that have been developed by myself and other members of the English Department on a weekly basis for you to choose from and do if you wish to keep learning and active.
For my part, I still want to stay connected with all of you and will continue to post my videos with a "Poem of the Day," sharing some kind of literary experience with all of you. Again, this is voluntary.
We are allowed to finish Ghosts, as we discussed, so we can have closure. If you want to read An Enemy of the People, for example, that can be an option, but no one should feel it is expected or that we will do it when we get back, it will be graded, etc. Again, this is voluntary. We can still have experiences, but they will be more individually based.
I am here for all of you, and if you wish to speak to me through email or the blog you are always welcome.
Overview and Directions: Please view the above video for my class instructions.
This will be a daily Vlog to help us keep connected as a class during this troubling time. I will always have a poem of the day, and offer daily lessons on our assignments. You will have the opportunity to comment on the blog post, and I can answer you the following day. We can also set-up class time to all be on the blog for an hour and comment together in real time.
I will address long-term assignments and we will begin new assignments together. I am looking to make this work as high interest as possible, which means the more you check-in and comment on the blog, the more input you will have on the work we do.
Today's "Poem of the Day" is from Sharon Old’s Arias, titled, “For You.”
Overview and Directions: Please finish reading Ghosts by Henrik Ibsen. Taking into account the plot points, please comment on the significance of these events in the play, as well as Ibsen's purpose in addressing the audience's reactions to Nora's exit in A Doll House. Think about the following plot points as you compose your response: Who really burned down the orphanage? How does the insurance come into play? What do we learn about Engstrand? Can you see a modern day equivalent to him? Why is he so dangerous? What is the name for the sailor's home? What is Regina's reaction to learning her parentage? What is Oswald's true reason for wanting to be with Regina? Why did Oswald really return? What does Ibsen mean by the line "softening of the brain" and "Mother? Give me the sun." How is the final moment an indictment on the audience who felt that Nora has a duty to her family? I look forward to your responses.
1. And the refuge for wandering mariners shall be called "Chamberlain Alving's Home,” that it shall! And if so be as I'm spared to carry on that house in my own way, I make so bold as to promise that it shall be worthy of the Chamberlain's memory.
2. Well then, child of joy as he was--for he was like a child in those days--he had to live at home here in a half-grown town, which had no joys to offer him--only dissipation. He had no object in life--only an official position. He had no work into which he could throw himself heart and soul; he had only business. He had not a single comrade that could realize what the joy of life meant--only loungers and boon companions - Your poor father found no outlet for the overpowering joy of life that was in him. And I brought no brightness into his home.
3. Yes, but she was one of that sort, all the same. Oh, I've often suspected it; but--And now, if you please, ma'am, may I be allowed to go away at once? A poor girl must make the best of her young days, or she'll be left out in the cold before she knows where she is. And I, too, have the joy of life in me, Mrs. Alving!
4. Everything you point to you shall have, just as when you were a little child.--There now. The crisis
is over. You see how easily it passed! Oh, I was sure it would.--And do you see, Oswald, what a lovely day we are going to have? Brilliant sunshine! Now you can really see your home. [She goes to the table and puts out the lamp. Sunrise. The glacier and the snow-peaks in the background glow in the morning light.]
5. [Sits motionless as before and says.] The sun.--The sun.
