Week of June 7, 2010

Monday/Tuesday

Continued review for exam. Hand-out of quotes. Review of grammar/punctuation. Crossword puzzle exchange.

Thursday/Friday

Continued review.

Week of June 1, 2010

Tuesday/Wednesday

We are going to read "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock," by T. S. Eliot. I meant to do this after we finished "Hamlet." It's not too late. Also, review of vocabulary.

On Thursday/Friday, make sure that you bring all your books. I am working on a review of the exam, including grammar issues and quotes. I finished the exam this weekend. There are four different exams. There will be different essay questions for different classes--all related to Slaughterhouse Five. Each of the four exams uses a different selection of vocabulary words and different selections of quotes. There are six selections--of which you will choose five. There is only one quote in each section. The six sections include: 1. Slaughterhouse Five 2. Hamlet 3. The Odyssey 4. "The Overcoat" 5. Selected Poems 6. "Inferno"--not necessarily in that order.

Thursday/Friday

You will receive classwork credit for having all your books. If you owe money on a book, this will be the day to bring in a check payable to MLWGS and to get a receipt from the office. The check will equal credit for the book. I will provide a selection of quotes. We will break up into groups. As a small group. you will analyze what is important about the quotes. Then we will share with the class.

Homework: Begin studying for your exam.

Week of May 24, 2010

Monday/Tuesday

Finish presentations of cultural / historical background of Slaughterhouse Five. Connect with the novel in a class discussion. Seminar on the novel as a whole (not graded). Prepare for reading quiz on Wednesday/Thursday for reading quiz on Slaughterhouse Five.

Wednesday/ Thursday

Reading quiz. Discussion. Review of exams to be covered on the final exam.

Friday

Review of materials for final exam. Have a relaxing Memorial day weekend.

Week of May 17, 2010--Note Change

Monday/Tuesday

Reading quiz on "Odyssey" 10-19 and Slaughterhouse Five, chapters 1-3. Go over. Library for research on assigned group topics.

Homework: Continue reading the novel.

Wednesday/Thursday

More research on assigned projects. Meet in Room 234 for attendance. Then we will go to our assigned computer lab. Make a 3-5 minute presentation on Friday.

Homework: Continue the novel.

Friday: Three-five minute presentation. You need to finish the novel by May 24/25.

Week of May 10, 2010

Monday-Thursday

Bring food if you can. I want you to learn, but I also want you to have some fun--and some relief from all the testing (APs and SOLs). We will watch "O Brother Where Art Thou?" plus talk about "The Odyssey." You should have read up through Book XVIII (18).

You will also see your "Infernos" and we will discuss them.

Friday:

Read through chapter 3 in Slaughterhouse Five. If you have any questions, this is the time to ask. There may be a reading quiz on "The Odyssey" (Books X-XVIII) on Monday/Tuesday. The quiz may include items from Slaughterhouse Five.

Week of May 3, 2010--NOTE CHANGES MAY 4

Monday/Tuesday:

Bring your Norton's (I & II--orange) books to class. We will discuss books XI-XIII. We will probably read book XIV in class and then you are to finish book XV for homework. NO READING QUIZ UNTIL AFTER AP & SOL TESTS. But there will be one on "The Odyssey"--where we will go farther. 17/18 (along with pages assigned--when they are assigned--in Slaughterhouse Five).

Wednesday/Thursday:

We will also read and discuss Tennyson's "Ulysses." It is already available on my student-shared folder, but I have also created a hand-out. We will also (if we have not already as in first period) read Book XVII of "The Odyssey." Read Book XVIII for homework.

Then I will distribute Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse Five. I may not have enough for all students, so if you already have a copy of the novel, please bring your own. If you have your own, you may also write in it. Begin reading the novel. I have not come up with a schedule yet, but you should probably finish the novel by May 21st. There will be benchmarks, however, that you will be expected to meet.

I am keeping in mind the strange SOL schedules and the fact that several of you will be taking APs.

Friday:

Bring novels. Brief discussion on the novel. Continue reading the novel. Read assigned chapters (I need to access the book at school in order to give you chapter numbers) by Monday/Tuesday.

Next week, we'll watch "O Brother Where Art Thou?"--a contemporary movie about "The Odyssey." It also includes some pop culture figures from the depression years.

"Odyssey" figures to look for in the film:

"Ulysses" McGill--played by George Clooney. "Ulysses" is another name for Odysseus.

The blind seer--a Tiresias figure who is blind and who drives a small hand-propelled rail cart.

Poseidon/the Devil: a corrupt police official / sheriff who tries to track Ulysses and his friends down.

The Kyklopes/Con-man (and Bible salesman)--played by John Goodman with an eye patch.

Sirens (also could represent the other seductresses / nymphs encountered along the way)

Penelope--goes by "Penny," played wonderfully by Holly Hunter.

Pop-Culture / Historical References:

Robert Johnson (different first name in the movie): famous musician who supposedly sold his soul to the devil for musical abilities. The real Robert Johnson was supposedly killed by a jealous husband. His music continues to be performed by famous artists.

There is a ku klux klan rally that imitates the scene in "The Wizard of Oz" when the evil witch's minions march.

Baby-Faced Nelson: famous bank robber the "Soggy Bottom Boys" encounter.

Banks foreclosing on poor farmers.

Corrupt politicians with "populist" views.

Famous southern politician "Pappy O'Daniel."

Old-fashioned radio station. You can see one just like the one we see if you ever drive down German School Road on Richmond's south side.

Bringing electricity to the country--and flooding out lands to do so.

Great music!

Odyssey--Notes on Books 10-13

Book X

Know the island and who lives there (at the beginning).

What gift does he give to Odysseus?

What do the men do with this “gift”? What motivates them to do so?

What does the gift-giver say about giving him a replacement gift? Why will he not do it?

Who are the Laistrygonians?

Who is Artakía?

What happens to some of Odysseus’ men after their encounter with Artakía?

What is the name of the island upon which Kirkê resides?

Describe the island and explain why this is a warning. Compare to the island of the Kyklopes.

Odysseus orders his men to break up into two groups. Who does he choose as the leader of the expedition?

What strange, unnatural, and supernatural things do the men find when they get to their destination?

Which character suggests that they should enter the dwelling?

How does Kirkê treat the men once they enter? Give specifics.

After treating them kindly, what does she do to them?

Which named character did not enter because his intuition told him not to?

When that character gets back to inform Odysseus, how does that character react when Odysseus says that Odysseus will lead the next expedition to Kirkê’s house?

Which god helps Odysseus in this endeavor?

What does the god give to Odysseus?

What does the god instruct Odysseus to do (beyond the molü)?

What weapon does Odysseus bring with him?

What happens the men after Odysseus has beguiled the charming Kirkê?

How long does Odysseus remain with Kirkê?

Who tells Odysseus that he must return home?

Before he goes Kirkê tells Odysseus that he must visit the underworld. What animal sacrifices must they make first?

Which famous seer will Odysseus seek once he is there?

What happened to Elpênor?

Book XI

What kinds of libations does Odysseus prepare once he has arrived in “the realm and region of the Men of Winter”?

To which famous goddess must Odysseus make sacrifices?

Who is the first “shade” that they see?

What does this once-human, former shipmate, ask of Odysseus?

Which relative does Odysseus discover here, has died? How did she die?

What prophecy does Tiresias give?

Note that Odysseus also encounters Oedipus and Jocasta.

Who is Lêda?

Who is Ariadnê?

What does Agamemnon reveal?

What does Agamemnon say about the “intrigues of women”? What does he say about Helen? What advise does Agamemnon give about how one should regard or treat a woman?

What does Agamemnon say about Penelope? How does he later contradict himself?

What is said of/by Akhilleus?

Know about Orion, Tityos, Tántalos, Sísphos, and Herakles.

Book XII—Sea Perils and Defeat

What happens to the recently-fallen comrade’s body? How does Odysseus show honor?

Know about the Seirênês.

Know about Amphitritê.

Know about the Symplegades.

Know about Skylla and Kharybdis.

Know what will happen on Thrinákia—who lives there, and which animals no one must touch.

What does Odysseus do to save himself from the Seirênês?

How are his men saved from the fate normally wrought when one listens to the Seirênês?

What is the choice Odysseus has to make when they encounter Skylla and Kharybdis? Which one does he take?

What does Eurýlokhos say?

Why do the men start to starve? What events cause this?

Who is Lampetía?

What sin do Odysseus men commit?

What are the consequences?

Where does Odysseus end up at the end of Book XII?

Book XIII

What does Alkínoos offer and give to Odysseus?

What price do the Phiákians pay for helping Odysseus?

Athena intervenes early in the story, arriving in what human form?

Into what form does Athena change later?

Note her criticism of Odysseus: “’Always the same detachment! That is why / I cannot fail you, in your evil fortune, / coolheaded, quick, well-spoken as you are! / Would not another wandering man, injoy, / make haste home to his wife and children? Not / you, not yet’” (387-392).

What does Athena say about Odysseus’ wife?

What does Athena reveal about what has been going on in Ithaka?