Assignments+12th+Grade+2013-2014

=FINAL EXAM GUIDELINES FOR Paper 1 and Paper 2=

= = =INDIVIDUAL ORAL COMMENTARIES 27th March to 3rd April 2014= = = = February Break + MACBETH + Individual Orals Commentaries = You are now on the count-down to your final Individual Oral Commentaries. These will be a held 2 to 3 weeks after your return to school in March. To deepen your understanding of "Macbeth" and to practice the Oral Commentaries, you must study a series of key scenes and be ready to present one in class. All the instructions are on the attached documents, one is the Guidelines for the IOC and the other is the list of key scenes in Macbeth with your name attached to one.

= = = COURSEWORK PORTFOLIOS Final deadline: Friday 21st February on = TURNITIN at 14.00h = = = Macbeth Assignment for Tuesday 11th February. =

Complete the quotation/comment grid, tracing in Act 1 the evolution of Macbeth from loyal supporter to murderer of King Duncan.

= = = REVISION FOR IB MOCK EXAMINATIONS JANUARY 2014 =

See the rubric on the home page for MOCK EXAMINATION REVISION GUIDANCE Jan 2014

Assignment for Tuesday 3rd AND NOW 10th December...
First Full Draft must be submitted on Tuesday and the Final Version through TURNITIN before the Christmas break. Your grade will be attributed on the standard of work submitted before the Reports are due (before 13th December).

CONTINUED WORK ON YOUR WRITTEN TASKS for Standard and High students! Some of you are VERY late.

** 1st Draft of Written Task type 1 'T//he Grass is Singing'// **
Submit a 1st draft of your Written Task based on 'The Grass is Singing'. It should be about 800 words long and have a **Rationale** of 200-300 words explaining what your purpose is, what your Learning Outcome is (see Part 4 pages 21-22 of the Guide) and how your chosen text type helps you achieve these.


 * Assignment for High students for 22/28th November '//The Things They Carried'//**

Follow the instructions for last week. You are strongly advised to send me bullet points or an outline before you launch into the whole essay. This should already have been done! The 1st draft should be 600 to 800 words.


 * Assignment for Tuesday 19th November **

As instructed in class, get started on your Written Task type 1 on 'The Grass is Singing'. Spend an hour brainstorming and note-taking and then discuss with Ms. Short in class before you go ahead.


 * Assignment for Tuesday 12th November **

//** The Grass is Singing - the views of the critics **//

You must read a critique of the novel called 'White Postcolonial Guilt in Doris Lessing's The //Grass is Singing'//. (See attachment) It argues how some people from the colonial powers, such as the English, may feel guilty about their treatment of the colonies, and how women may sometimes try to 'make up for this' by giving themselves in a sexual relationship with a native man. The critic argues that this is paradoxical and actually still assumes a feeling of superiority on the part of the white woman.
 * You may find the opening of the critique quite hard to understand, but use the little explanation above and persevere! __Highlight and annotate the text__. Your task is to: **
 * 1) ** understand the gist **
 * 2) ** understand the examples taken from //The Grass is Singing// **
 * 3) ** try and find other examples yourself or any counter-arguments that occur to you **




 * Assignment for 8th November High Students: Violence in //The Things They Carried// **


 * Choose 2 scenes of violence from the book. Annotate and comment on O'Brien's treatment of violence. Be as precise as you can in your analysis. You should use O'Brien's discussion of 'what makes a true war story' when you analyse the extracts. **
 * [[file:GrassSinging Ch6-7.doc]]Assignments for Wednesday 6th November **


 * Questions on chapters 6 and 7 on //The Grass is Singing// **

See attached document


 * Assignment for all students for Tuesday 22nd October **


 * //The Grass is Singing// - Practice for the Individual Oral Commentary **

This work will be graded. To prepare, you need to read from where we read in class to the end of chapter 5. In class, you will be allocated a short extract, you will have 5 minutes to read and annotate it, and then you will be expected to 'present' it to the class i.e. give a spoken commentary on the extract.

As we do in class, you will comment briefly on where the extract is situated and what is interesting about it e.g. what we learn about characterisation, themes/ideas, social and historical context, setting etc., and most especially the effect of the author's language choices, literary devices, figurative language, imagery etc.


 * Assessment Criteria**
 * 1) Knowledge and understanding of the extracts and character
 * 2) Understanding of the effects of Lessing’s choice of language/literary features
 * 3) Organisation of the commentary
 * 4) Your own clear, accurate and appropriate expression

Assignment for High Students Friday 25th October **Characterisation in //The Things They Carried//** You are going to make an oral presentation on a character of your choosing. As you are ** preparing for the Individual Oral Commentary ** for final assessment on this text, this will be a form of practice: close analysis of extracts to explain what they show about a character (and, of course, key ideas in the book). In class, be ready to talk through and amplify what you have written. You will receive a grade for the quality of your commentary:
 * Task **
 * Choose about 3 short extracts/quotations (5-10 lines each) ** and use them to illustrate what you consider to be key features of the character you are studying.
 * Write notes **, not an essay!
 * Assessment Criteria **
 * 1) Knowledge and understanding of the extracts and character
 * 2) Understanding of the effects of O’Brien’s choice of language/literary features
 * 3) Organisation of the commentary
 * 4) Your own clear, accurate and appropriate expression


 * Kiowa - Zak
 * Lavendar - ?
 * Curt Lemon - ?
 * Lt. Jimmy Cross - ?
 * Rat Kiley - ?

Assignment ** for Tuesday 15th October **

**// The Grass is Singing //**


 * Continuing notes on chapter 1**

The conversations around the murder scene are rich in material for understanding Lessing’s message. (Please ignore the number/formatting problems! There are 3 questions. Note that the page numbers may not correspond in your edition - you will have to look!)


 * Question 1**. **__Charlie Slatter__** has contrasting, even contradictory elements in his personality. Quote briefly and paraphrase or comment on these contrasts as regards:


 * The narrator’s description of Slatter after his arrival from London
 * Slatter’s attitude to young men from English public-schools (16)
 * Slatter’s ideas of fairness (17)
 * Slatter’s attitude to Marston’s hesitation (21)
 * **Question 2**. **What does the narrator say about the young men** who come out to South Africa from **English public-schools**? The paragraph starts: “When old settlers say…” What do you think is Lessing’s feeling about the way the young men tend to change?
 * 1) **Question 3. The 3-way conversation between Slatter, Sgt. Denham and Tony Marston** is a brilliant piece of writing, rich in drama, in human psychology, and revelations about the functioning of the “colour bar” in Southern Rhodesia. Write a paragraph paraphrasing what happens and showing your appreciation of these three aspects:
 * 1) **Question 3. The 3-way conversation between Slatter, Sgt. Denham and Tony Marston** is a brilliant piece of writing, rich in drama, in human psychology, and revelations about the functioning of the “colour bar” in Southern Rhodesia. Write a paragraph paraphrasing what happens and showing your appreciation of these three aspects:
 * 1) **Question 3. The 3-way conversation between Slatter, Sgt. Denham and Tony Marston** is a brilliant piece of writing, rich in drama, in human psychology, and revelations about the functioning of the “colour bar” in Southern Rhodesia. Write a paragraph paraphrasing what happens and showing your appreciation of these three aspects:


 * the drama of the confrontation between Tony and the two locals
 * human psychology
 * the functioning of the ‘colour bar’

//**The Things They Carried -**// **High Students**
Re-read to the end of chapter 1 and answer the following 4 questions


 * Chapter 1 //The Things They Carried//**


 * **O’Brien lists** great numbers of items that the soldiers carried in Vietnam. Most of these are physical items like equipment, food or medicines. However, occasionally, he slips in a different sort of ‘item’, like “fear” (6). Find 3 or 4 examples of these **intangible** things (things like emotions or attitudes) and comment on their significance (their literary expression/the meaning)
 * O’Brien also puts side by side in his lists things that sound surprising or shocking. We discussed some such examples of **incongruity** in class. Find 2 more examples and comment on their effect on the reader.
 * **Bravery?** **Cowardice?** ‘O’Brien’ writes that Lt. Jimmy Cross “should’ve done something brave” in trying to seduce Martha (5). Later he writes that the soldiers “were too frightened to be cowards” (18). What do you understand about his notions of bravery and cowardice?
 * **Why does Lt.** **Jimmy Cross** **change his attitude** at the end of the chapter? Why does he decide to be stricter, a better leader of his men, to “confiscate the remainder of Lavendar’s dope”, and to remember that “his obligation was not to be loved but to lead**”? Secondly, what do you think the author O’Brien thinks** of Jimmy Cross’s resolutions?
 * **Bravery?** **Cowardice?** ‘O’Brien’ writes that Lt. Jimmy Cross “should’ve done something brave” in trying to seduce Martha (5). Later he writes that the soldiers “were too frightened to be cowards” (18). What do you understand about his notions of bravery and cowardice?
 * **Why does Lt.** **Jimmy Cross** **change his attitude** at the end of the chapter? Why does he decide to be stricter, a better leader of his men, to “confiscate the remainder of Lavendar’s dope”, and to remember that “his obligation was not to be loved but to lead**”? Secondly, what do you think the author O’Brien thinks** of Jimmy Cross’s resolutions?
 * **Why does Lt.** **Jimmy Cross** **change his attitude** at the end of the chapter? Why does he decide to be stricter, a better leader of his men, to “confiscate the remainder of Lavendar’s dope”, and to remember that “his obligation was not to be loved but to lead**”? Secondly, what do you think the author O’Brien thinks** of Jimmy Cross’s resolutions?


 * Assignment for Thursday 10th October **


 * Reading of essays on //Sula// by literary critics. **

You should go to the Sula Resources page here on the wikispace. Download a selection of the documents, skim through them (many h ave an Abstract that will tell you what to expect), choose the one that interests you most and read it. As you read, highlight parts that interest you (that you agree with, that impress you, that puzzle you etc.) At the end, write 3 or 4 comments or questions on what you have read and be ready to give a brief overview of the essay to your classmates.


 * Assignment for Tuesday 8th October **
 * Write about 600 words on one of the following titles on //Sula//. This work will be assessed using the Part 3 Written Task criteria. It may later be developed into a complete Written Task for your coursework portfolios. Remember that you must show a thorough knowledge and understanding of the novel. You must also adopt a voice (tone and style) appropriate for the role-play you choose.**
 * Print out your work to submit it.**


 * **Write an additional scene where Nel and Sula meet in the afterlife. What would they say to each other?**
 * **Write the next page or two of //Sula//, after Nel has her 'revelation'.**
 * **Imagine that Ajax, Jude and Boy-Boy meet up some time after Sula's death. Write the transcript of their conversation.**
 * **Role-play a white journalist sent to Medallion to cover 'the tragic accident in the tunnel'. Write your news article.**
 * **Eva wrote her memoirs, or confided in another inmate in Sunnydale Home. Write her memoir or a transcript of the conversation.**
 * **In Sula, Morrison has been accused of writing a needlessly violent and sexually explicit book. Role-play Morrison and write a speech in which she defends herself against the charges.**


 * Assignment for Tuesday 1st October **


 * SULA **
 * Post your recent work on Sula on the 'Sula student page'. This is in the list of rubrics on the left side of the Home page, (probably under 'see more.)**


 * You can post work that you have done on the questions or themes in Sula since chapter 1927. 3 homeworks have been set up to the death of //Sula. Remember that it is helpful to comment - constructively - on what your peers have written. You can also ask questions.//**

**//High - Blood Wedding//**

 * ==== Written Tasks **//must be completed this first week of October//**====
 * **//Several of you are again not up to date with the on-going work already set,//**
 * //indicated below for 27th September. Post your work on the Blood Wedding student page.//**


 * Assignment for Tuesday 24th September **

**//SULA//**

 * Choose a topic from the list **
 * 1) Brainstorm what you think Morrison is saying about the topic. Find 3 or 4 key points
 * 2) Go back through the story so far and take notes on examples that back up the points you have made
 * 3) Include quotations with page references
 * 4) Be ready to present this work in class


 * List of Topics **
 * 1) Family
 * 2) Love
 * 3) Sex
 * 4) Death
 * 5) The supernatural
 * 6) Friendship
 * 7) Loyalty and betrayal
 * 8) Reputation
 * 9) Racism
 * 10) Poverty and earning a living

HIGH STUDENTS : Assignment for 27th September on // BLOOD WEDDING //

Controversial Statements
Choose one of the following statements and find evidence in the text to support it and to challenge it. Take notes on the evidence you find, including short quotations (with scene and act references.)
 * Lorca’s images of death are more powerful than those of life
 * The land of Andalusia is presented as purely hostile
 * The male characters are animal-like, primitive
 * The women are all submissive
 * Sex is the greatest motivator for the characters’ actions


 * Assignment for Friday 13th and weekend of 14th September**

//**SULA**//


 * In class on Friday, work on the worksheet below on Sula, chapters 1923 and 1927.**

Remember!
 * **//Blood Wedding// coursework is on-going**
 * **Portfolios of coursework have still not been submitted by most students**


 * Assessment of initial reading of The Grass is Singing by Doris Lessing. __Tuesday 10th September__**

This assessment is designed to let you show that you have read the novel and thought about key aspects that are outlined in the instructions given (see below.) The questions will require paragraph form and be open-ended to allow you some choice in answering.
 * Books to purchase **
 * **// Macbeth //** by William Shakespeare (preferably Longman School Shakespeare, 2010, ISBN-10: 1408236869, but you can choose another edition with notes to help you)


 * **// Sula //** by Toni Morrison (any edition)


 * **// The Grass is Singing //** by Doris Lessing (any edition)

__ HL only __


 * **// The Things They Carried //** by Tim O’Brien (any edition)

**__ Assignment for __****__ all students __**


 * Read //The Grass is Singing//. **


 * Take notes on the author, Doris Lessing, and find out about the context of production ** – colonial Africa in the 1940s. You need to be familiar with the plot, main characters, and setting, and to have some ideas on the main themes and their relation to historical and cultural context. This novel is one of the Part 4 works. This means that you need to have read it several times and know it ‘inside out and backwards’ in order to do well in the final Individual Oral Commentary examination next year. You must come to class having already read it (not just a summary!) It’s a remarkable book written by a Nobel prizewinner.
 * You will have graded class work ** on this when you return to school. You can also write/highlight in your own book as photocopies of extracts will be used for the exam.

** HL students **


 * 1) ** Reading **
 * You are advised to read //The Things They Carried// ** over the summer, too. You should find that it reads quite easily (a modern text about the Vietnam War) and, again, it will be a tremendous advantage to have already completed a first reading when we come to study it during the year. It is also in Part 4 and needs to be known in great detail, thus read several times.


 * 1) ** Coursework on //Blood Wedding// **
 * You must produce one rough draft or a couple of detailed proposal outlines for another Written Task 1 ** . (Remember that the IB requires **at least** 4 Written Tasks at High Level. See pages 40-46 in the Guide.) This must be on **//Blood Wedding// and preferably related to a ‘sense of place**’. It can be a type 1 (creative…..) or type 2 (an essay, an answer to one of the set essay questions, pages 45-46 in the Guide, as you did for //Hedda Gabler.//) You probably remember that the 6 set questions revolve around Reader/Culture/Text, or Power and Privilege, or Text and Genre…

You should choose a type 1 or type 2 according to how well you did the previous pieces of coursework. The aim is to have a good choice in your coursework portfolio in order to select your best work to send off for assessment.


 * Possible examples for a type 1 Written Task on //Blood Wedding// ** :

‘Sense of place’ - Think! Andalusia: soil, arid, water, sun, roots, grapes, knives, flowers, horses, sharp stones…humid forest, moon, blood, water…


 * You are a traveler (from afar?) in the early 1930’s in Andalusia. You happen to pass through a village where the play, //Blood Wedding,// is being performed. You write a diary entry on what you witnessed, the play, the audience reaction…
 * You are a 21st century theatre critic. You write a review of a recent performance of //Blood Wedding//. You could be in Spain or another country where the play is performed in translation and seen by spectators of a different culture. Pay attention to the set and costumes…You could also be a radio broadcaster and write your text to be spoken.
 * You produce a tourist brochure for cultural visits in Spain. Write the section on the part of Andalusia where //Blood Wedding// is set and where some attractions are based on Lorca and//Blood Wedding//.
 * You are a Spanish politician in the 1930s. You want to ensure that events like those in //Blood Wedding// do not happen again. Write your speech to parliament, proposing to enact the necessary laws…
 * You are a song writer (Folk? Blues? Rap? Pop?). You write the ballad of Leonato and the Bride, or of the Wife and Leonato, or of the Mother, or the Maid…)
 * You are the Father at the end of the play. You write a letter to the Mother or to your daughter…
 * You are the Mother. You write an epitaph for the tombstone of your son and an obituary for a newspaper.
 * You are the Wife. You write a letter for your child to open later, talking about the child’s father; or you write a lullaby after the closing events of the play.
 * You are the Bride’s Maid. You have an exchange of letters with a distant relative. You comment on the happenings you have witnessed. You could also write the scenario for a conversation between the Maid and a friend, like an additional scene…

Feel free to contact me by email if you want to discuss Written Task ideas that you have. You can also post your ideas and choices on the discussion forum under //Blood Wedding// student work