Welcome to British Literature I!
8/21: Introduction to the class/course. A syllabus and course outline will be distributed and discussed. Students will be given a survey which they are to complete for tomorrow's class. The summer reading assignment will be collected tomorrow as well.
8/22: Share survey results. The summer reading assignment will be collected. We will then begin our unit on "Pygmalion."
8/23: We will have a roundtable discussion of the play in its entirety, going through Act by Act. Students will work in groups from a set of guided questions given out in class. Each group will be responsible for a specific Act and will prepare the answers to be presented to the class- this will serve as our review for Monday's test on Pygmalion.
8/26: Pygmalion Test. We will finish up our discussion of the play and look at some scenes from the film "My Fair Lady."
8/27: We will watch the film "She's All That" which is a contemporary portrayal of the Pygmalion Effect.
8/28: Continue watching the film.
8/29: Finish watching the film. Please bring your British Literature textbook to class tomorrow.
8/30: We will begin our 1st unit on the Anglo-Saxon period by discussing historical, social, and cultural forces behind the period. This will include the Epic Warrior, the Epic, and the Epic Hero. We will also look at the timeline on pp. 6-7. Students will be given an outline on the historical background.
9/3: We will finish up our discussion from Friday by focusing on the Epic Warrior, the Epic Form, and the Epic Hero. If time remains, we will also discuss Beowulf the Poet. Students will be given information on what we know of the "anonymous" poet.
9/4: We will begin Beowulf. Students will be given a Beowulf study guide and a handout on key facts of the work. Students will also look at samples of Old English, Middle English, and Modern English versions of The Lord's Prayer.
9/5: We will begin reading Beowulf together. Students will be given study questions to go along with the text reading. HOMEWORK: Finish reading " The Coming of Beowulf" and complete the study questions for tomorrow's class. There will be a reading quiz tomorrow on "Grendel Attacks the Danes" and "The Coming of Beowulf."
9/6: Students will take a reading quiz. Go over study questions. Students will be given new study questions for "The Battle With Grendel" to be completed for Monday's class.
9/9: Collect study questions and discuss "The Battle with Grendel."
9/10: Students will be given study questions for "The Battle with Grendel's Mother", "The Battle with the Dragon" and "The Funeral Fire." The questions for "The Battle with Grendel's Mother are to be completed for tomorrow's class. Homework: Finish reading "The Battle with Grendel's Mother" and start reading "The Battle with the Dragon" up to line 825.
9/11: Go over the study questions and discuss "The Battle with Grendel's Mother" and "The Battle with the Dragon" up to line 825. Homework: Finish reading "The Battle with the Dragon" and "The Funeral Fire."
9/12: We will finish discussing the 2nd part of the Battle with the Dragon. A worksheet on the vocabulary of Beowulf will be given out and completed in class today. This sheet includes practice with synonyms/antonyms and using context clues. HOMEWORK: Finish reading "The Funeral Fire." Complete the study questions to be turned in at the start of class on Friday. There will also be a reading quiz tomorrow.
9/13: Study questions will be collected. A short answer reading quiz will be taken. Students will then complete a worksheet on the vocabulary for Beowulf. A handout on "Appositive phrases" will be given out in class. This handout is due Tuesday.
9/16: No School- Faculty In-Service Day!
9/17: The Appositive Phrase handout will be gone over and collected.Students will begin working on a handout comparing/contrasting the 3 major battles. "3 Battles" handout will be discussed and started. If time, we will begin a character analysis by discussing the qualities of monsters as depicted in Beowulf and the qualities of the Anglo-Saxon hero as found in the character of Beowulf himself. Finish worksheet for Wednesday's class.
9/18: Complete the Battles Worksheet from yesterday's class. Review for tomorrow's test on Beowulf and the Anglo-Saxon Period. Students will be given a study guide to assist them in the process of review.
9/19: Beowulf Unit Test.
9/20: We will look at a power point on kennings. Students will create modern kennings of their own. Share Kenning Assignment.
9/23: Start watching the film. Students will be given the directions for their final project on Beowulf- The Kenning Collage. A handout with guidelines for the project will be given out at the start of the class. The finished collage will be due Thursday, 9/26. Students will be asked to share their collages with the class.
9/24: Continue watching the film.
9/25: Continue watching the film.
9/26: Finish watching the film. We will then discuss similarities and differences between the film and what we read in our text. Kenning Collages will be collected and shared with the class.
9/27:We will begin discussion of the Medieval Period with a focus on Big Idea 2 (pp.14-15 in the textbook). This will include the Christianizing of England, the establishment of monasteries, the popularity of pilgrimages, and religious drama. We will also look at the ongoing development of the English language. If time remains, we will discuss the concept of COURTLY LOVE which we will encounter in some of our pilgrims portrayed in The Canterbury Tales.
9/30: We begin our unit on The Canterbury Tales. We will discuss the class system of Chaucer's time and students will fill in a chart to show their understanding. We will discuss direct and indirect characterization- students will be given worksheets to fill in for the characters introduced in The Prologue.
10/1: The "pilgrim charts" will be given out. Students will each be assigned a character to present to the class. A guide for the presentation will be given out and explained. The typed written report will include research on the profession and social class of the pilgrim, along with any other physical description or direct/indirect characterization.
10/2: Students will be given study guide questions for the Canterbury Tales. We will begin reading together the first pages of the Prologue up to the introduction of the 1st pilgrim mentioned, The Knight. We will go over the essential details found in these pages and students will be given remaining class time to work on their pilgrim presentations. For homework: Read and fill in the chart for the Knight, the Squire, the Yeoman, the Nun (Prioress), and the Monk. Also, answer the study questions for these pilgrims as well. Presenters for those pilgrims should be ready to present tomorrow, Thursday.
10/3: Pilgrim presentations begin! We will discuss the Knight through the Monk. For homework: Read from the Friar through to the Franklin. Fill in the pilgrim charts and answer the corresponding study guide questions.
10/4: We will continue our presentations and discuss the character's from last night's homework. For homework: Read from the Guildsmen through the Wife of Bath. There will be a reading quiz on the pilgrims (the Knight through the Oxford Cleric) on Monday.
10/7: Quiz on the pilgrims from the Knight through the Oxford Cleric has been moved to tomorrow. We will continue our presentations and discuss the pilgrims from Friday's reading homework (the Guildsmen through the Wife of Bath). For homework: Read from the Parson through the Reeve. Fill in your charts and answer the pertaining study guide questions.
10/8:Quiz on the pilgrims from the Knight through the Oxford Cleric. We will continue our presentations and discussion of the Parson through the Reeve. For homework: Finish reading the entire Prologue.
10/9: Presentations for the last pilgrims (the Summoner through the Host) will continue and conclude our reading of the Prologue. There will be a quiz tomorrow on the pilgrims from the Oxford Cleric through the end of the Prologue.
10/10: Quiz on the pilgrims from the Oxford Cleric to the end of the Prologue. We will discuss the Prologue in its entirety.
10/11: "Name That Pilgrim" in-class activity. Students will work on matching descriptions of the pilgrims to the correct pilgrim.
10/14: NO SCHOOL: Columbus Day!
10/15: We will begin the introduction to our 1st actual tale- "The Pardoner's Tale."Students will be given a handout detailing background information to the tale itself, along with a set of study questions. We will begin reading the tale in class and students will finish reading the tale for Thursday's class. There will be a reading quiz then.
10/16: Testing Day!
10/17: Quiz on "The Pardoner's Tale." We will discuss the "Pardoner's Tale. Students will be given a handout on the background of "The Wife of Bath's Tale."
10/18: We will begin our 2nd actual Tale- "The Wife of Bath's Tale." Students will be given study questions to complete for Tuesday's class. There will be a reading quiz on Tuesday as well.
10/21: Students will be given Vocabulary worksheets to completed and turned in before the end of class. If finished early, students may continue reading the Wife of Bath tale and answer the study questions. Be prepared for a reading quiz on Wednesday on the tale. Study questions are also due Wednesday.
10/22: We will discuss the Tale. Focus will be on Chaucer's use of Argument as a means of persuasion and his use of logic and reasoning.
10/23: Quiz on "The Wife of Bath's Tale. Study questions will be collected. "Name That Pilgrim" in-class activity. Students will work on matching descriptions of the pilgrims to the correct pilgrim. A review study guide for Friday's unit test will be given out and discussed.
10/24: Review for tomorrow's unit test on The Canterbury Tales.
10/25: Unit Test on The Canterbury Tales.
10/28: We begin watching "A Knight's Tale." Students will be given a follow-up writing assignment explaining how the film is a fitting representation of Chaucer's time period/society. Specific examples from the film must be used to support the points made. The paper is due next Monday, 11/4.
10/29: Continue watching the film.
10/30: Continue watching the film.
10/31: Conclude watching the film.
11/1: We will read an exerpt from "Le Morte d'Arthur" by Sir Thomas Malory. This will conclude our unit on The Middle Ages. DON"T FORGET YOUR "KNIGHT'S TALE" ESSAY IS DUE MONDAY!
11/4: Collect "Knight's Tale" essays. We begin our unit on The Renaissance. We will discuss the historical background of it by looking at the Timeline in the text and viewing a power point on The Tudors.
11/5: Finish up the power point. We will then go over the development of the Sonnet. We will discuss the 3 types of sonnets: Petrarchan, Shakespearean, and Spenserian. We will read and discuss Petrarch's Sonnet XII.
11/6: We will read together in class the poem "On Monsieur's Departure" and "Queen Elizabeth's Speech to the Troops." Students will be given a set of questions to complete for tomorrow's class.
11/7:We will watch a clip from the film "Elizabeth: The Golden Age" which portrays Queen Elizabeth delivering the speech. With remaining time, we will read Sonnet 30 by Edmund Spenser. For homework: Students will finish reading the sonnet and answer corresponding study questions.
11/8: NO SCHOOL!
11/11: NO SCHOOL!
11/12: We will read "Queen Elizabeth's Speech to the Troops." We will then watch a clip from the film "Elizabeth: The Golden Age." There will be a quiz on the Sonnet tomorrow.
11/13: Sonnet Quiz. We will read and discuss Sonnet 30 and continue with Sonnet 75. Working with partners, students will be given specific lines from either of the Sonnets and will be responsible for a brief analysis of them This analysis will include paraphrasing the lines and pointing out any other literary devices which can be found, such as simile, alliteration, exaggeration, tone, theme, etc.
11/14: We will finish up our discussion from yesterday. Students will complete the study questions in class and turn them in either at the end of today's class or the start of tomorrow's class.
11/15: We will compare and contrast the 2 poems "The Passionate Shepherd to His Love" by Christopher Marlowe and "The Nymph's Reply to the Shepherd" by Sir Walter Raleigh. Students will be given another study guide for these 2 poems and the next 4 Shakespearean sonnets.
11/18: NO SCHOOL - Faculty In-Service.
11/19: Continue Friday's discussion with a focus on the "the Nymph's Reply to the Shepherd."
11/20: In-class work on determining point of view and author's purpose, analyzing sound devices, and comparing and contrasting Speakers/Narrators. We begin our series of Shakespearean sonnets and soliloquies. Students will address prompts regarding some of the ideas found in Shakespeare's sonnets. We will then look at the background of Sonnet 116, read the sonnet together in class, and discuss its various aspects.
11/21: Read and discuss Sonnets 130 and 73.
11/22: Read and discuss Sonnet 29. The study questions for the sonnets is due at the completion of today's sonnet.
11/25: We will begin watching a DVD on the biography of William Shakespeare.
11/26: We will finish watching the video from yesterday and then, if time remains, we will read and discuss the 2 Shakespearean soliloquies- "To Be or Not to Be" and "All the World's a Stage."
11/27- 11/29: NO SCHOOL - Thanksgiving Vacation.
12/2: We begin our unit on MACBETH. Numerous handouts will be given on the background of the play along with study guide questions for Act One.
12/3: We will begin reading Act I, Scenes 1-2 together in class. Prior to the reading, we will go over Motifs found in the play, the characteristics of a Shakespearean hero, and the elements of a Shakespearean play, esp. atmosphere. Students will be able to identify where these elements occur in the play.
12/4: We will continue reading Act I by starting with Scene 3 (the temptation scene). Students will be introduced to the 4 stages of temptation and then apply them to Macbeth's temptation in the scene.
12/5: We will finish up our discussion of temptation and finish Scene 3.
12/6: Students will continue reading Act I in class, finish reading all of Act I for homework, and be prepared for a reading quiz Monday. They should also have the study questions for Act I completed and ready to be turned in at the start of Monday's class.
12/9: Act I Quiz. Act I study questions will be collected. We will begin Act II. We will focus on the motif of "sleep." Students will be given study questions to accompany the reading.
12/10: Students will continue reading Act II, Scenes 2-3 in class.
12/11: We will view the Porter Scene on DVD. Students will finish reading Act II and be prepared for a quiz on it tomorrow. Study questions for Act II will also be collected tomorrow.
12/12: Act II Study questions will be collected. There will be a quiz on Act II. We will begin Act III by reading Scene 1 together. Study questions will be given out and discussed. We will analyze the soliloquies of Banquo and Macbeth.
12/13: We continue our discussion of Act III. We will focus on Macbeth's plan for murdering Banquo and examine the changes in Macbeth and Lady Macbeth as individuals and as a couple. We will read and discuss Scenes 2 and 3. We will analyze Act III, Scene 3 as the climax of the play.
12/16: We will read Act III, Scene 4 together in class.
12/17: We will finish reading Act III together in class. Students will be introduced to the term "interpolation." If time remains, we will begin reading Act IV.
12/18: Quiz on Act III. Study questions for Act III will be collected. We will begin reading Act IV. Study questions for Act IV will be given out
12/19: We will continue our discussion of Macbeth Act IV by reading Scenes 2 and 3.
12/20: Finish reading Act IV, Scene 3.
1/6-1/7: NO SCHOOL due to the extremely cold weather conditions.
1/8:Begin reading Act V. Study questions for Act V will be given out. The study questions for Act IV should be completed for homework and turned in at the start of tomorrow's class.
1/9: The study questions for Act IV will be collected. We will continue reading Act V. Students are to finish reading Act V and answer the study questions. These questions will be collected at the start of class tomorrow. The opportunity for extra credit will be presented. The extra credit must be completed on or before next Tuesday- NO EXCEPTIONS! The study questions for Act V will be completed for homework and turned in at the start of tomorrow's class.
1/10:The study questions for Act V will be collected. We will discuss the play in its entirety. We will focus on main characters, along with key themes and imagery. Students will be given worksheets on the vocabulary words from Macbeth to be completed and turned in before the end of the class period.
1/13: We will look at selected scenes from the film version of Macbeth.
1/14: Review for semester final exam.
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