Act I, Scene III

Today's class started with Ms. DeRousi coming in and giving your Morphology lesson. She gave you a whole new list and a whole new chart so make sure you don't lose these.

After DEAR time, you took your Act I, Scene II Quiz. Almost all of you got above an 80 which I was very proud to see. Keep up the great work!

Then we jumped right back into Othello. We acted out Act I, Scene III which was set in the Duke's Council. Here we found out that Othello wooed Desdemona by telling stories of his times at war. He's been through quite a lot (cannibalism, slavery, etc.) so to come out on the other side shows his strength, courage, and perseverance. But Desdemona sees the softer side in him. She sees that he's a broken soul, and she pities him for all that he's been through. That's what makes Othello fall in love with her and secretly run off to marry her. Brabantio still isn't thrilled about the idea and actually disowns Desdemona. Here's a clip of the scene (remember, we're not reading the whole play, so there's going to be lines in here not in your version):

For homework, you need to read and annotate Iago's soliloquy that comes at the end of page 8. Mr. Hannah and I are feeling a little "poppy" so make sure you do a great job. Here's a clip of the soliloquy that may help you understand what's going on:

DEETS:
In-class:
--Morphology
--DEAR
--Act I, Scene II Quiz
--Act I, Scene III Role Play

HW:
--Read and annotate Iago's first soliloquy (pg. 8)

The Beginning of Othello

Today we jumped head first into Othello. To start, we did a tone exercise just to review. We went through the 6 basic human emotions and put each of those emotions on a scale. We then came up with more words for each emotion and put them on the scale from least intense to most. This was a great exercise because it made you come up with different words for emotions you feel every day and realize what level they sit at.

As I told you today, Shakespeare is not meant to be read, but to be heard and performed. Likewise, it's not something you'd probably take to the beach for a relaxing read as you sunbathe. Therefore, we have to understand all the different tones and inflections we can say to words so that when we act them, we realize what intensity we need to bring to our characters.

After that, we did the character map which showed us all the different characters in the play and how they all relate to one another. As you can see, this play is going to be very busy and full of drama. Here's the summary of what we learned:

Othello--black man/general of the army
Iago--Othello's best friend
Desdemona--Othello's wife who he secretly eloped with
Brabantio--Desdemona's father who's very upset about the secret marriage
Cassio--Othello's lieutenant (which makes Iago hate Cassio and Othello)
Roderigo--a man who secretly loves Desdemona (Iago will use Roderigo to his advantage to get back at Othello)
Bianca--a prostitute who loves Cassio
Duke--the ruler of the nation (like a king)

The character map is going to be very important to you if you ever get lost or get confused about who's who. Keep it with you at all times. It's also up on Schoology under the Othello folder in case you lose your copy.

We then acted out Act I, Scene I. Here's what we learned:

--Roderigo and Iago are talking outside. Iago tells Roderigothat he hates Othello for choosign Cassio as his lieutenant over him. He thinks Cassio is a joke.
--Iago will continue to pretend to be Othello's best friend only so he can back stab him later. Iago basically tells Roderigo that he's two-faced, but Roderigo still talks to him. We realize that Roderigo is very gullible and naive.
--Roderigo and Iago come to Brabantio's house and ask him to look for his daughter. (Meanwhile, Iago stands behind Rdoerigo so he's not seen. Brabantio never realizes Iago is there.)
--Brabantio cannot find Desdemona and suspects that she's with Othello. He is very upset about this and decides to take action.

For homework, you need to read and annotate Act I, Scene II. It's only one page, so do your best. And like we told you today in class, Mr. Hannah and I are feeling a little "poppy."

DEETS
In-class:
--Tone Exercise
--Character Map
--Act I, Scene I Role Play
--Morphology Quiz

HW:
--Read and annotate Act I, Scene II

Reading Images

Today's class was about reading images effectively. We first looked at a color symbolism chart that showed us what certain colors mean. We generally don't think about the symbolic meaning of the colors of the clothes we wear as we get dressed in the morning, but it's interesting to see what you meant to portray and what your colors actually reflect.

This got us thinking about how creators make certain movie posters, video game covers, CD covers, or book covers. Why did they make the choices they did and how does that then affect how we interpret the image? Together, we looked at the movie poster for Titanic:

In using the Reading Images sheet (on Schoology under the Othello folder) we can start to interpret this image. The main color is black, which represents death and destruction. The other prominent color is blue, which represents peace and tranquility. Interesting fact: The reason why the captain of the Titanic didn't see the iceberg in time was because the boat was going too fast and the ocean was calm and tranquil. Had the waters been rough, they would have seen and felt the waves crashing off the iceberg and been able to possibly see it in time.

We then talked about lines. The two diagonal lines of the boat cross at a point. Diagonal lines represent movement and energy. If the boat would to continue moving, it would cut the couple in half, separating them. (As you know, this is exactly what happens in the movie.)

When we talk about composition, meaning how characters are posed, we see that Leo is holding Rose desperately, with his head cast down. We see Rose looking away, looking confused and alone. (Again, this is exactly what happens in the movie. Leo is the one who is sure certain about his love for Rose, protecting her at all costs. Rose, on the other hand, is confused and unsure at first about her love for Leo.)

Notice that these choices are not done randomly. Every time you look at a movie poster or a video game cover, all the choices were made purposefully and specifically. It's your job as viewers to then interpret and analyze the image.

In your groups, you did just that. You looked at several Othello playbills and analyzed the image to see if you could start to understand what this play would be about. Here's some of the images:

We decided that this play would be about love--love given, love lost, love died. We also determined there would be lots of jealousy, envy, drama, and twists and turns. We're going to start reading this play on Monday so we'll see if you guys were right.

For homework, you need to write a paragraph about your favorite movie poster, video game cover, CD cover, or book cover. I gave you the first sentence of your paragraph already. In case you forgot it, here it is:

Jane Smith

Ms. Chaves/Mr. Hannah

ELA 9

26 April 2013

            In a                                           for                               , it uses                                     

                  (movie poster/video game cover)                     (name)                           (composition/lines/color)

to show                                                .

Your E (evidence) because you don't have a quote, will be a description of your cover. Do your best, and email me if you have any questions.

Have a great weekend!

DEETS:

In-class:

--Morphology

--DEAR

--Reading Images

--Othello Posters

HW:

--Poster Paragraph 

Jeopardy!

Today we played Jeopardy as a way to prepare you for tomorrow's TKAM Test. I've attached the link here on the blog in case you want to play again tonight at home to review.

Also, you must remember to complete the take-home part of the test. If you do not bring this part of the test tomorrow, you will automatically lose 20 points. Also, you must follow the MEAL format when writing your two paragraphs. The powerpoint is up on Schoology under the Paragraphs folder to help guide you.

Further, don't forget to use quotes as part of your evidence in writing your paragraphs. The first paragraph requires you to write a paragraph describing Atticus' explanation of why it is a sin to kill a mockingbird. So, you need to go back to all those chapters we read, and find the quote where Atticus explains this. I believe it's Chapter 10...

For the second paragraph, it asks you to relate Atticus' explanation to one character in the novel. As we discussed today, the two mockingbirds in the novel are Tom Robinson and Boo Radley. As a result, you'll need to look through all the chapters we read and find a quote that accurately shows how either Tom Robinson OR Boo Radley are being judged or hurt despite their innocence.

Do your best. If you need any help, please email me with questions.

STUDY STUDY STUDY!

DEETS:
In-class:
--MEAL Review
--Jeopardy

HW:
--Take-home part of the test
--Study for the test!

#bostonstrong

We started today's class with a discussion about this past week's events. I realize many of you have a lot of things you want to get off your chest, and today we addressed some of the issues you might have faced over vacation. If we didn't get to talk about something that you wanted to, don't worry. This week's advisory, and I assume the many advisories to come, will be dedicated to having discussions about this sensitive topic. 

The most important thing to remember is this: We are Boston. We are Boston strong. You should never feel alone because there are so many support systems for you here at RHS and you know that Mr. Hannah and I are always here to assist you in whatever you may need. 

After our discussion, Ms. DeRousi came to give you a refresher on your Morphology. I've uploaded the powerpoint she used on Schoology under the Morphology folder in case you missed some of the suffixes. Again, please make sure to keep your suffix chart with you at all times.

And lastly, most of you lucked out with today's homework. You have one more day to get your stuff organized. Here's what you need:

--3 PRINTED ads (1 for ethos, 1 for pathos, 1 for logos)

--3 paragraphs (1 for each ad) explaining why the ad is either ethos, pathos, or logos

*Note: Your paragraphs must be neatly handwritten on lined paper with skipped lines. Each paragraph must also follow the MEAL format. The MEAL powerpoint is also up on Schoology under the Paragraphs folder in case you forgot how to do it properly.

Get it done! This will be your first quiz grade of the new term!

DEETS:

In-class:

--#bostonstrong journal entry

--Morphology

--EPL check

HW:

--EPL

Jeopardy!

Today we played Jeopardy as a way to prepare you for your midterm tomorrow. Hopefully you all took great notes. I've attached the link on the side of the blog. Here's what you'll need to study tonight:

--all your tests/quizzes
--notes from Jeopardy
--MEAL powerpoint

Those three things should prepare you well-enough to take tomorrow's midterm. Study hard! And again, please email me or Mr. Hannah with any questions you may have.

DEETS:
In-class:
--Jeopardy

HW:
--Study for the midterm!

Survivors Ready!

Today we went over ethos, pathos, and logos. Here's what we learned:

* Rhetoric is the study of how to use language effectively in speech.

* Three parts of rhetoric are called ethos, pathos, and logos.

* Ethos is rhetoric that uses credibility and trust to persuade people.
            example: Windex vs. store brand
                           Mac vs. PC

*Pathos is rhetoric that appeal to your emotions/feelings.
            example: Abused dogs commercials
                          Perfume commercials

*Logos is rhetoric that uses logic/facts to persuade people.
             example: medicine/drug ads
                           car commercials

Over vacation, you must get three examples of ethos, pathos, and logos--one for ethos, one for pathos, one for logos.

Then, you must write a paragraph for each explaining why.

This will all total to 100 points for a quiz grade. This will be your first grade of the new term so you don't want to start off on a bad foot. Here's the breakdown:

25 points = 3 ads
25 points = ethos paragraph
25 points = pathos paragraph
25 points = logos paragraph

We did a sample paragraph together. Here's one we wrote together:

Jane Smith

Ms. Chaves / Mr. Hannah

ELA 9

10 April 2013

            In a shoe advertisement for New Balance, Timberlands, and Sketchers, the advertisement uses pathos to persuade customers by using emotions. In the advertisement, there is an excited man in the middle with shoes all around him. This shows that customers will be pursued to buy the shoes. The comfortable prices (all the shoes are under $71.99) make customers feel like they can afford them. Therefore, this advertisement for name brand shoes uses pathos to catch buyers’ attention, a great gift for any man. 

Then, we had our paragraph parts activity. There were high stakes for the winning team because each person could add 5 extra points to whatever test/project grade they wanted. I was glad to see you guys had fun with it, but just like in Survivor, there can only be one winner. Each class was really competitive and I was glad to see you enjoyed yourselves, while still doing something academic. 

Tomorrow we will play jeopardy to get you ready for the midterm. I believe we will be doing boys vs. girls to amp up the anty so get ready! You don't want to be the person to let your team down. 

Study hard!

DEETS:

In-class:

--Ethos/Pathos/Logos

--EPL "vacation work"

--Paragraph Parts Activity

HW (over vacation):

--Find 3 ads (one for pathos, one for logos, one for ethos)

--Write a paragraph for each one explaining why

Oh my DEAR, we're almost done with TKAM!

Today we began today's class with DEAR time. I was glad to give you more time to read today since we were just finishing Chapter 19. When reading, think about these questions:

            How often did you find yourself distracted while you read? What causes it?

            What do you do to help yourself stay focused while reading?

            If a part of your book is confusing to you, what do you do? Is this helpful?

            Do you find yourself picturing what you read? Is it like photographs or a movie?

            Are you actively trying to figure out what will happen next while you read?

            Have you started reading this book other places or just in this class?

Hopefully the answers to these questions will spark something inside you to read more or ask more questions. Again, the whole point of DEAR time is for you to be continuing your reading of these books outside of class. Check out the facts:

* Out-of-school reading habits of students has shown that even 15 minutes a day of independent reading can expose students to more than a million words of text in a year.  *60 percent of America's prison inmates are illiterate and 85% of all juvenile offenders have reading problems.

*More than 20 percent of adults read at or below a fifth-grade level - far below the level needed to earn a living wage.

To check out more facts, click here: Literacy Facts

As for the trial, here's what we learned:

--Gilmer makes Tom Robinson look like a fool. Tom admits to feeling "sorry" for Mayella, which is a big no no because that means that a black person is above and has pity for a white person. He also has to continually say Mayella is "mistaken" rather than "lying" because to say that a white person is lying, is to say that person is wrong.

--Gilmer ends up calling Tom Robinson "boy" 7 times. No one else in the court is referred to this way. This shows that black men of Maycomb are not respected. They are viewed as children and not as men. 

Tomorrow, we'll start preparing for the midterm on Friday. But you need to be doing your part by gathering all of your materials (quizzes, tests, etc.), reviewing your MEAL format for your paragraphs, and reviewing your literary terms.

Remember, here's how the midterm breaks down:

20 multiple choice questions (60 points total, 3 points each)

1 open response (1 paragraph) (10 points total)

1 essay (3-5 paragraphs) (30 points total)

Because this exam is very long and difficult, I strongly advise you to read the multiple choice questions before you read the passages so you know what you're looking for. Also, I would suggest skipping the open response and doing the essay first because it is worth more points. If you don't get to the open response, you lose 10 points. However, if you don't get to the essay, you lose 30. Use these test-taking strategies to the best of your ability so you can do the best you can on this exam. 

DEETS:

In-class:

--Morphology

--DEAR

--Finish Chapter 19 Role Play

--Go over Midterm Breakdown

HW:

--Study for your midterm!

Chapter 19 Role Play

Today we started Chapter 19 Role Play. Here's what we learned:

--Tom is 25 years old, has a wife and three kids, and has got in trouble with the law before.

--He knew Mayella because he had to pass by her house every day on his way to work.

--He liked to help her do her chores because he knew Bob Ewell (her father) and the rest of the children didn't help her out.. He did this all for free.

--Tom claims that Mayella actually came onto him! She made him grab a box on top of the chiffarobe to check him out and then grabbed him. She kissed him and then revealed that this was nothing compared to what her father did to her. This reveals that her "brothers" and "sisters" may actually be her own children.

--Tom reveals to Gilmer that he felt sorry for Mayella, which is a big no no. It implies that black people are better than white people because they feel pity for them.

We'll finish part II tomorrow!

DEETS:
In-class:
--Chapter 19 Role Play
--Morphology

HW:
--Study for your midterm!

Chapter 18 Role Play Continued...

Before we got to the rest of the role play, we had our Morphology quiz and our Grammar quiz. Hopefully you all did well on these and this will give your third quarter grade one last boosting before grades close next week.

After that, we continued our role play of Chapter 18. Here we find some shocking evidence. Tom's left hand is crippled! When Tom was young, he got his arm caught in one of the farming machines and it destroyed the muscles in his arm. It has been useless ever since. 

This is a big twist for the case because now Mayella's testimony seems very unlikely. She said she was punched in her right eye and she was choked all around the neck with two hands. Because of Tom's condition, this can't be true. But because of the time period, because of the color of Tom's skin, he is still being put on trial. 

You have to remember, this trial has nothing to do with logic, as most other cases we've talked about. Remember the Scottsboro Boys and Emmit Till. Did they do anything? No. And what happened to them? They were either murdered or put on trial for many years without an innocent verdict. 

Cases like these are not far away from us either. The Charles Stuart case of the 1990's was a big deal that got all of Boston police searching for a black man who supposedly killed a white man's pregnant wife. Later, they realized, it was most likely the husband who killed her as he later jumped off the Tobin Bridge. 

These crimes are an act of prejudice and, unfortunately, logic doesn't come into play. Prejudice still exists in every facet of this country, and the world, and, hopefully, with time, we will see the end of such a discriminatory and cruel injustice. 

For Monday, we will read Chapter 19 and finally get to see and hear Tom's testimony, his side of the story. You're all in for a big surprise. Here are our actors:

Chapter 19 Role Play:

Tom Robinson 1: Christian, Randy, Carl

Tom Robinson 2: Chaimae, Oscar, Kyanna

Judge: Kevin, Jerry, Yesli

Gilmer: Monica, Sabrina, Rahim

Atticus: Janissa, Ashely P., Carmela

Rehearse your lines and get ready to perform!

DEETS:

In-class:

--Morphology

--DEAR

--Grammar Quiz

--Chapter 18 Role Play

HW:

--Actors--rehearse your roles!

Chapter 18 Role Play

Today our Do Now was an excerpt from yesterday's role play. Even though I know we already read it yesterday, it gave us an opportunity to really analyze the life the Ewells live. This was necessary for our Chapter 18 Role Play because the information we saw really does shape Mayella Ewell, the daughter of Bob Ewell who was allegedly attacked by Tom Robinson.

I know we didn't finish all of Chapter 18, but we will tomorrow. Just remember, as we go through this, keep in mind the Ewells' living situation and how they were raised. It ultimately shapes Mayella and her testimony.

For tomorrow, don't forget to study for your Grammar quiz! You'll need to know all of the definitions for the words we've gone over, as well as knowing which correct form of the word for different sentences, and how to fix error-filled sentences. Study, study!

DEETS:
In-class:
--Do Now--Excerpt from Chapter 17
--Chapter 18 Role Play

HW:
--Study for your grammar quiz!

Chapter 17 Role Play

Today we practiced some more with our grammar. Remember, you'll have a quiz on Friday on all the grammar we have done. This will be your last grammar quiz so make it count!

After, we did our Chapter 17 Role Play. Most of you slipped into your roles rather well and I'm glad to see you put in the effort to understand your character.

We'll finish Chapter 17 tomorrow, and then start Chapter 18. Here are the roles:

Chapter 18 Role Play:

Judge: Gerald, Edward, Andres 

Gilmer: Matt, Andre, Renee

Atticus: Regina, Daniel, Jessica

Mayella 1: Crisleydi, Valentina, Carmela

Mayella 2: Martha, Sofia, Michaela

Prepare your lines and know your character!

DEETS:

In-class:

--Grammar Do Now

--Chapter 17 Role Play

HW:

--Review your grammar

--Actors prepare your roles!

Can we overcome prejudice?

Before we jumped in to today's lesson, we had DEAR time and Ms. DeRousi came in to give your Morphology lesson. I'm going to say it again, please do not keep losing your charts. Ms. DeRousi should not have to make copies over and over again. 

As for today's lesson, we listened to a song by Billie Holiday called "Strange Fruit." What we learned is that even though the song is called "Strange Fruit," she's not talking about fruit at all. She sings, "Black bodies swaying in the Southern breeze. Strange fruit hanging from the poplar trees." The "fruit" that's hanging on the trees are black men and women. She's referring to all the lynchings that have been happening in the South. 

Billie Holiday was a famous black singer who sang for all-white clubs. But just because she was the star of the show and her name might have been up in lights, she STILL was not allowed to enter through the front doors. Today, Justin Bieber and Adele cannot enter through the front doors of their sold-out concerts because they would be mauled by fans. Back then, even though they might have had a sold out show, they were not allowed to enter through the front doors because they were black. White audiences saw these black performers as their entertainment, nothing more. With this song, Billie Holiday was trying to send out a message to her audience, and to even make them a bit uncomfortable. She was trying to show them her world is much different than theirs and they need to recognize what it is they're doing.

With the video of the Black Doll/White Doll Experiment, I hope you realized just how much prejudice still exists today. All of you get so comfortable with the term "back then," arguing that racism was a thing of the past. But just because we don't lynch people or have slavery, doesn't mean that prejudice doesn't exist. Write a response on the Discussion board on Schoology and keep this discussion going. I'm sure all of you have had experiences where you felt judged based on the color of your skin. Talk about it and talk about it with each other. 

Here are the videos if you want to take a look at them again:

Billie Holiday's "Strange Fruit":

Black Doll/White Doll Experiment:

More Prejudice Experiments:

Brown Eye vs. Blue Eye Experiment:

I'll be posting the links to these videos on Schoology as well. I hope these videos have opened your eyes to how our world is today, and just how "far" we've progressed. 

Tomorrow, we'll get to acting Chapter 17.

DEETS:

In-class:

--Morphology

--DEAR

--"Strange Fruit"

--Black doll/white doll experiment

--Discussion

HW:

--Discussion post on Schoology

Paragraph Review

Today was mostly about review. We started the period by going over our last grammar week!. Here's what we learned:

you're = contraction for "you are"
your = possessive

who's = contraction for "who is"
whose = possessive

where = in or what place
were = past tense of "are"
wear = to put or have on (clothing)
we're = contraction for "we are"

This will be our last grammar week so make sure you get your study on and really shine.

Then, we reviewed our paragraph structure. Here's a reminder:

M = Main Idea (title/author and restate and answer the question)

E = Evidence (introduce the quote, add the quote, and explain it)

A = Analysis (This shows that...  (at least 2 sentences))

L = Link (concluding phrase, summarize the main idea, add a new idea)

These paragraphs are not going away, and with your midterm coming up next week, you have to make sure you know this structure and know how to do it well.

Ms. DeRousi then came to give your Morphology lesson. Please do not keep losing your Suffix chart. Ms. DeRousi should not have to keep making extra copies for everyone because you cannot keep your things in order.

As for tomorrow's class, we will begin our role playing of the trial scene. Here are the roles for tomorrow's class:

Gilmer = Hiba, Nusirat, Annas

Heck Tate = Alex, Emiliano, Roberto

Atticus = Darin, Milena, Rosemarie

Judge Taylor = Salvador, Martin, Adrian

Bob Ewell = Lorraine, Angjeliki, Brian

Remember, you're going to want to go over your lines because your classmates will be grading you based on your performance. You do not have to be an actor to get a great grade on this. You just have to show that you practiced your lines and understand your character.

Also, everyone will have to get up there and act so don't feel like you're going to make a fool of yourself and everyone else is going to laugh. Everyone will be acting at some point.

DEETS:
In-class:
--Grammar Do Now
--Finish Chapter 15
--Paragraph Review
--Group Paragraph
--Morphology

HW:
--"Grammar Quiz" on Schoology
--Actors prepare your roles!