XAssignments+12th+Grade+2011-+13

REVISION FOR FINAL EXAMINATIONS
Please note that essential guidelines for revising for Papers 1 and 2 have been posted on a new page here **REVISION FOR FINAL IB EXAMINATIONS**. Remember the wiki pages appear in alphabetical order. If and when new material for Finals is posted, Ms. Short will notify you by email.

Don't hesitate to contact me with any questions you might have.

==Students who have finished their Individual Orals - please be sure you use some of your usual time in English class for re-reading the part 3 texts for the Paper 2 exam: //A Doll's House, Sula, Blood Wedding//.==

Please use the attached Guidelines to help you approach the Oral in the best way.
When you revise the texts from Part 4, remember to use all the close study passages, notes, tests and worksheets.

Listen again to the audio versions if you have them.



Order of Orals, starting Tuesday 19th March, using class time: Tuesday 19th March : Matthew, Taymour, Gerry Friday 22nd March: Zak Monday 25th March: Jonathan, Claudio, Kalle Tuesday 26th March: Charlie, Amy

Remember to bring pens, pencils, highlighters etc. to annotate the extract and take notes.

Assignment for Monday 4th March
See instructions for the Feb. break. Are you up to date? Not everyone has given me their coursework...

ORALS!!

The Individual Oral Commentaries will be held on the week of 11th March. We will plan the order in class on Monday.

Assignments February Break
COURSEWORK - //MACBETH// - COURSEWORK - //MACBETH// - COURSEWORK...

You also know that you will have the Individual Oral Commentaries after the Break, and so you need to re-read and revise the other Part 4 texts i.e. //Heart of Darkness// and (for High students) //The Things They Carried// //.//

Bon courage! You're getting there. Just "screw your courage to the sticking-place"... (who said that?)

Prepare for classwork on Macbeth, exploring and annotating the following scenes. Remember to paraphrase, jot down questions on what you can't understand or are unsure of, linger on the language and its effects, identify themes, motifs, character revelation, acting/interpretation issues, references 'into' and 'out of' the passage etc.

Outdoors. A camp || 1 – 12, 1 - 44 || Three witches “hurly-burly” King, Captain “brave Macbeth” || Inverness. Macbeth’s castle || 1 - 70 || Lady Macbeth – letter, “milk of human kindness”… “unsex me here”…”be the serpent” || Inverness. Macbeth’s castle || 1 - 82 || Macbeth “If it were done”…”I dare do all” Lady Macbeth “Like the poor cat i’the’adage”…”dashed the brains out” || Forres. The Palace || 1 - 74 || Banquo, Macbeth “barren sceptre” || The Palace || 1 - 59 || Macbeth and Lady Macbeth “mind full of scorpions" || Dunsinane. Macbeth’s castle || 1 - 52 || Seyton, Macbeth, Messenger “Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow” ||
 * **Where and when** || **Lines** || **Key features** ||
 * Act 1 scenes 1,2
 * Act 1 scene 5
 * Act 1 scene 7
 * Act 3 scene 1
 * Act 3 scene 2
 * Act 5 scene 5

Assignment for Tuesday 12th February
Please spend at least half an hour preparing the next extract from Macbeth. Homework prep was not done for today's lesson. Read, seek to understand, paraphrase and annotate the third extract for close study: **Act 1 scene 7 lines 1-28.** King Duncan has arrived at Macbeth's castle and Macbeth is pondering the intended murder.

//**Macbeth**//
Read, seek to understand, paraphrase, and annotate the second extract for close study: **Act 1 scene 5 lines 1-52**. This is in Macbeth's castle, where we first meet Lady Macbeth. Key phrases: "milk of human kindness" and "unsex me here". Remember you need to paraphrase for meaning, identify context, characterization, theme, motifs, language.

Students who were absent from class on Friday will need to catch up on the first extract, the opening of the play: Act 1 scene 1 lines 1-44

Assignment for Thursday 7th February
Continue your quotation chart, tracing the developments in Macbeth's thinking until the murder of Banquo and then Macbeth's behaviour at the feast, where he sees Banquo's ghost (3.4)

** Assignment for Monday 4th February **

 * //1.// __//Macbeth//__: Why did Macbeth decide to murder Duncan? **

Instructions in the document below. 'High' students, Amy, Nicole and Zak must submit a rough draft of their Type 2's by Monday. Charlie should submit his Wr Task work too. Matthew must finalise coursework after the play, but should do some 'corrections' on his exam Paper 2 for Monday.
 * Work on Act 1: Quotation Trace of Macbeth's Decision to Murder Duncan **
 * 2. Coursework**
 * Written Assignments must be on-going for all students.**

Assignments for Monday 28th January
As said in class, you need to:
 * 1) Spend 15 mins. annotating the prose text on aging. Keep in mind key similarities and differences with the poem on old age
 * 2) Work on your coursework Written Tasks. Do bring in your physical portfolio, please, so we can be sure you know exactly how ready it is before we launch into //Macbeth//
 * 3) Have your copy of //Macbeth// ready for class

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

 * Assignments for return to school Monday 7th January 2013**


 * Obviously, exam revision is your chief focus. However, you must be sure you are up to date with the following:**


 * **__Reflective Statement__ on the Further Oral Activity you did (a copy of the advice/checklist is on the Homepage of this wikispace)**
 * **__Finalise at least one piece of coursework__ - Written Task 1 or 2. ( EVERYTHING must be ready in February, so please don't leave it until the last minute.) If you have questions, feel free to email me for help.**


 * Mock Exams**


 * 1) **Paper 1: Textual Analysis of an unseen text (comparative of 2 texts for High Level; one may be literary)**
 * 2) **Paper 2: Essay based on at least 2 of //A Doll's House, Sula// (and //Blood Wedding// for High Level)**


 * For guidance, please see the Homepage of this wikispace - Mock Exam Guidance.**


 * Assignment for Monday 17th December**


 * Nothing new! Each student needs to be up to date with one or more of the following:**
 * **prepping Further Oral Activity**
 * **writing Reflective Statement on Further Oral Activity done**
 * **finalizing WrittenTask coursework pieces**


 * Preparing for the Paper 2-type essay on //Sula// on Monday 10th December.**


 * 1) Firstly, remember that in Final Exams, Paper 2 will require you to discuss at least 2 texts (//Sula, A Doll's House, Blood Wedding (High only))//. The test on Monday is focused on //Sula//. However, //if you wish// to discuss one (or more) of the other texts from Part 3, you may.
 * 2) Re-read the section in the IB LangLit guide that describes Paper 2 and Part 3, especially the __**sample essay questions**__ (Standard: page 29; High: page 40)
 * Prepare by brainstorming responses to the questions using //Sula//
 * 1) Remember that understanding the contexts of production and reception is important. Remind yourself of the assessment criteria (Standard: pages 35-36; High: pages 50-52)
 * Review the Toni Morrison New York Public Library interview, particularly the last section
 * Look at the openings of critical essays on //Sula// on the Sula Resources page, especially the feminist criticism and Afro American writing tradition
 * Look through your previous literary essays with Ms Short's comments to remind you of your strengths and weaknesses


 * Assignments and Tests leading up to Christmas Break**


 * 1) **Further Oral Activity: Thursday 6th December**
 * 2) **//Sula// Paper 2 type essay: in class Monday 10th December**
 * 3) **//The Things They Carried// (High students) Individual Oral Commentary in class Friday 14th December**
 * 4) **Written Tasks: date to be set**


 * All the above require work. No separate task is set this weekend, but it is essential that all previous assignments have been respected (and this is not the case for some of you.) Check below! Carefully completing the assignments and reading other students' work, plus my comments or class notes, are one of the best ways of preparing for the evaluations.**


 * Assignments for all students for Monday 26th November**


 * 1) **Read at least one of the samples of critical writing on //Sula//** ( on the Sula resources page on this wikispace.) The //New World Woman// is particularly useful; it's rather long but not difficult reading.
 * 2) Check the assignments below since 15th November to be sure you are up to date.
 * 3) Everyone should be working on either a **Written Task or a Further Oral Activity**. First drafts of new work or 'new and improved' versions of earlier ones should be submitted by the middle of next week. Some of you have been given a specific date.


 * Assignments for __all students__ Monday 19th November**

Ensure the work on //**Sula**// is up to date (see below):
 * the image of men
 * motifs
 * Also read an example of critical writing (posted on the Sula resources page) and highlight points of interest you can share in class

Remember you need to come up with proposals for a **Further Oral Activity** on the government/conflict texts from Parts 1 or 2 of the course


 * Assignment for __High students__ week of 19th November**

//**The Things They Carried**// **Critical reading and schools of literary criticism**


 * Read the handout by Lorrie N. Smith on Gendered Subtext in //The Things They Carried.//** Focus particularly on the Introduction and the Conclusion, and then on the episode or character you chose in class:


 * Kathleen - Charlie
 * Martha - Amy
 * Mary-Anne - Zak
 * Linda - Matthew

Annotate Smith's writing, highlighting and noting your personal views on this critic's feminist take on the novel. Confirm what you find judicious and raise objections where you disagree. Be sure to offer examples to back up your views.


 * Assignment for Thursday 15th November**
 * 1) **Reflect on the image of men in Sula.** Our class discussion reached a point where we agreed that key male characters could be accused of 'betraying' their female partners and their children. However, we also agreed that Morrison was not condemning these men. How then does she present them? How are they characterised? What might explain their behaviour? Look carefully at the social/historical/cultural context. Seek your answers primarily IN THE TEXT of the novel. Find incidents and quotations. If you then wish to do a little research outside the novel, do so, but note your sources carefully.
 * 2) **Matthew and Kalle**, particularly, but everyone else too, please be ready before the end of the week with some **suggestions for Further Oral Activities** (single or in pairs...) on the Government/institution/conflict text topics.


 * Assignments for Thursday 8th November**
 * 1) **Be sure you are up to date with Written Tasks and your portfolios**
 * 2) **Read the novel //Sula// and prepare an Oral presentation as follows:**

Guidelines for Oral Presentations on Themes in Sula

These oral presentations on //Sula// are designed to deepen your and the class’s understanding of Morrison’s novel. You are encouraged to use a Powerpoint presentation to support what you say.

This Oral is another occasion for you to practise certain skills for the final Individual Oral – thorough knowledge of your topic, formal presentation skills, appropriate and specialized terminology, a well-structured presentation. The basic presentation should last 5-10 minutes per student, plus time for questions/discussion. Try to use all the following suggestions.


 * 1) ** Brainstorm ** what you most noticed about the theme and jot down preliminary responses to the question: “__What is Morrison saying about the topic__?”
 * 2) ** Compile a “Quotation Bank”. ** Go through the book in order, looking for parts that are relevant. List all, or at least the most important, points and copy all or part of key quotations. Don’t forget the page number! Keep an eye out for motifs, lexical fields, effective imagery and any other language features that can be associated with your topic.
 * 3) Ask yourself if there is **development** in the treatment of the theme. What understanding comes through all these references to the theme? How does Morrison handle the theme?
 * 4) When preparing the presentation, start at 'the end': what is **the purpose of your presentation?** What do you want the class to understand about the topic chosen? What do you think Morrison is saying about it – about death, sex, friendship etc.? This will be your Thesis Statement.
 * 5) Your presentation is like an essay – it must have a sense of purpose, a sense of direction. You want to convince your classmates of your interpretation.
 * 6) The slides are there to support what you say. Ensure there is a logical progression through the slides and only phrases written out, not full sentences
 * 7) Avoid ‘cluttering up’ your slides. ‘Less is often more’! You are welcome to include **visuals that will really enhance the written and spoken parts**, reinforce your meaning and help the class to remember the points you want to make.
 * 8) Remember that text references should include **quotations** (short ones are often best). **Comment on their significance and on the language Morrison uses and the effects she obtains.**
 * 9) Be sure to know something about Toni Morrison. Show awareness of **the contexts of production and reception**
 * 10) Remember to cite your sources and have one slide at the end for Works Cited, including your edition of Sula.
 * 11) Practise your presentation for timing and fluency. Although you want to ‘entertain’ and persuade your audience, do try hard to use **language in an appropriate academic register,** with the correct terms for literary devices. You can do this and still sound like yourself, but you may need to practise!


 * Remember! **

Give your personal opinion; raise questions; show that interpretations of an extract, a character etc. are just that, interpretations, and that you are not dealing in scientific ‘proofs. Nevertheless, don’t be wishy-washy! It is **not** true that ‘anything goes’ and ‘one opinion is as good as another’s’. You MUST be able to back up solidly what you say.


 * Assessment Reminder **
 * Understanding of the text and its context
 * Understanding of stylistic features
 * Organisation and structure
 * Use of Language (register appropriate to presenting to class, persuasiveness, use of appropriate literary terms)


 * Student Topic Allocations**

Matthew - Family Taymour - Love Claudio - Sex Gerardo - Death Zak - the supernatural (see 'Magic Realism') Amy - Friendship Kalle - Loyalty and betrayal Charlie - Reputation Jonathan - Racism


 * Assignment Friday 26th October**
 * All students**
 * Finalise the creative work on Heart of Darkness. For the internal grade, this can be just 500-600 words. Further development for those students who wish it to be a Written Task 1 coursework piece can be done over the November break.**
 * High Students only**
 * Characterisation in //The Things They Carried//**

Task

Choose 3 short extracts/quotations (5-10 lines) and use them to illustrate concisely what you consider to be key features of the character you have been allocated.

Post the quotations and your comments on the wikispace in the new **//Things They Carried// page** accessed via the Homepage.

In class, be ready to talk through and amplify what you have written (5-10 minutes). You will receive a grade for the quality of your work:
 * Appropriate choice of extracts
 * Understanding and interpretation of extracts
 * Appreciation of O’Brien’s use of language
 * Your own clear and academic spoken expression

Amy – Rat Kiley Charlie – Kiowa Matthew - Curt Lemon Zak – Lt. Jimmy Cross
 * Assignment for Monday 22nd October**


 * Creative type-Written Task 1 on //Heart of Darkness// due Monday.** Minimum 600 words. If you intend using it for formal coursework, it should be 800-100 words. The rationale is optional as yet.


 * Assignment for week of Monday 15th October**


 * Government 'Conflict' Texts**

Using the notes and checklist you have already compiled in class, **write up a complete commentary** in appropriate essay form. You my choose to do this in 1h 30m, as if it were a Standard Paper 1.

Be sure to do your best as regards **essay structure**, for example, Introduction, Thesis Statement, Topic sentences for neat paragraphs, examples, quotations, clinchers and Conclusion.

Remember to bring in the Government-sourced **article** on 'conflict and conciliation' along with the Textual Analysis A reminder that you were given a **handout of questions on //The Things They Carried//** to answer for Friday's lesson. In case you have misplaced it, here is a copy of the document:
 * Assignments for Thursday 11th and Friday 12th October**
 * Please bear in mind that mid-term reports are being created and classwork contributes to your grade and comment.**
 * All students**
 * Quick Checklist** filled out.
 * High Students**

Prepare for an in-class essay/written commentary on an unseen extract from Conrad's Heart of Darkness. This means you should:
 * Assignment for Tuesday 9th October**
 * **revise the text itself**
 * re-read selections from the novella
 * revise your notes on the extracts studied in class
 * revise the cultural/historical/biographical context
 * **revise the requirements for a good commentary/essay**
 * thesis statement, topic sentences, clinchers, paragraphing, exemplifying
 * quoting, punctuation
 * appropriate terminology for literary analysis
 * **remind yourself of the assessment criteria in the Guide**
 * Understanding of the text
 * Understanding the use and effects of stylistic features
 * Organisation and development
 * Language


 * Assignment for classwork and homework during Ms. Short's absence 27th and 28th September**


 * All students //Heart of Darkness//**

Re-read the passage on pages 13-14, from "I left in a French steamer..." to "...out of sight somewhere." Write detailed notes on the extract, with a view to giving a commentary. Remember to write a 'thesis statement' once you have studied the passage in detail. Take notes on all that seems significant to you, but you must be sure to consider: This work can be done individually or collaboratively, but everyone needs a copy of their response.
 * Marlow's tone/attitudes/values
 * Marlow's representation of the coast and of physical Africa
 * The image Marlow conveys of the white men's activities along the coast
 * Marlow's representation of the native people
 * The way Marlow's language achieves a variety of effects


 * High students only //The Things They Carried//**

Re-read the first chapter and take notes to answer the following questions. Be sure to quote briefly to illustrate your responses:


 * 1) What effects are gained by O'Brien using so many lists?
 * 2) How might you categorise the different types of things the men carried?
 * 3) When and how did O'Brien surprise you with his writing?
 * 4) Examine how O'Brien starts to build characterisation in this first chapter.
 * 5) Look up the meanings of 2 or 3 things/words you don't understand.


 * Assignments for Monday 24th September**
 * 1) **Organise your coursework portfolio as instructed**
 * 2) //**Heart of Darkness**//
 * **Introduction to ‘the pilgrims’:** Marlow introduces ‘the pilgrims’, without yet naming them so, at the end of section 1. Re-read the passage on pages 30-31 (“//But they didn’t…everlasting confab//.”)Take notes and __post at least 3 separate observations__ of your own on the discussion forum on this Assignments page. You should also __//respond to at least// one post__ by another student.

You might look at the following aspects, but feel free to comment on what strikes you:


 * How Marlow gives a vivid visual image of the men
 * How Marlow’s critical and contemptuous attitude is made clear
 * How any themes are illustrated e.g. imperialism, work ethic, honesty
 * How Marlow is able to produce a character portrait of the nephew very concisely

Continue work on coursework:
 * Assignments for week until Friday 21st September**
 * Bring Sense of Place coursework up to date according to my recommendations (all students)
 * Lorca/Sense of place coursework (High only) - turnitin deadline Friday, as indicated below
 * All students: print out hard copies of existing written tasks from grade 11 to include in personal portfolios. Be sure they are labeled carefully and complete with the Rationale

Assignment for Monday 17th September


 * //Heart of Darkness//**
 * 1) **In the Norton Critical Edition, read the chapter by Patrick Brantlinger . //Imperialism, Impressionism and the Politics of Style// (386**). Take notes on the key points this critic makes. Your notes should be in OUTLINE form, with headings, sub-points, and the occasional short quotation.

You will have **a quiz** on this chapter on Monday.

2. Be sure you are up to date with the work on the Sense of Place coursework (media-type texts for both Standard and High)


 * High Students**

Your complete rough version of the Written Task on Lorca (also Sense of Place) must be submitted via Turnitin by Friday 21st September. . Remember 800-1000 words, plus the Rationale. Of course, you can see me during the week if you want to check you are going in the right direction.

Monday 10th September

//HEART OF DARKNESS// **Complete preparation for oral presentations on Marlow's Meetings with other Characters**. In order to analyse the extracts appropriately, be sure to re-read about the historical context and some critical writing on //Heart of Darkness//, specifically Hegel - //The African Character// (page 208 in the Norton Critical Edition) and Firchow - //Race, Ethnicity, Nationality and Empire// (233). A copy of the worksheet is available here, including guidance for assessment: Amy, please note that the 'meeting' you have been allocated is 'the harlequin'.

Tuesday 4th September Graded assessment on summer reading of Heart of Darkness Dear Lang/Lit students,
 * SUMMER READING 2012: ASSIGNMENTS AND BOOKS TO PURCHASE **

I hope the students in Turkey are having a fantastic time and that everyone will enjoy the summer break, rest up and gather energy ready for the challenges of 12th Grade. Of course, you need to prepare for your return by buying and reading texts for the English programme. The **list of books is below and the assignments, too**. This information is also on the wikispace. The High Level students have an additional coursework assignment to get started on. (Don’t groan too loud – getting started on it now will be one less task to do in September when you are studying new texts. It will all be worth it in the end!)


 * Books to purchase**
 * **//Macbeth//** by William Shakespeare, Longman School Shakespeare, 2010, ISBN-10: 1408236869


 * **//Heart of Darkness//**by Joseph Conrad, Norton Critical Edition (4th Edition 2006) ISBN-10: 0393926362

(HL only)
 * **//The Things They Carried//** by Tim O’Brien, Flamingo 1991 ISBN-10: 0006543944


 * __Assignment for__** __**SL and HL students**__


 * Read Conrad’s //Heart of Darkness//. You must also read as much as you can of the excellent section ‘Backgrounds and Contexts’ in the Norton Critical edition.** //Heart of Darkness// is one of the Part 4 works. This means that you need to know it ‘inside out and backwards’ in order to do well in the final Individual Oral Commentary examination next year.


 * You will have graded class work** on this when you return to school. By September, 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 contexts. Obviously, you should take notes on your reading in the manner that most suits you. 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 answer to __one__ of the set essay questions, pages 45-46 in the Guide, as you did for //A Doll’s House.//) You probably remember that the 6 set questions revolve around Reader/Culture/Text, or Power and Privilege, or Text and Genre…

You should probably 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 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, 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 the village where //Blood Wedding// takes place and you write a diary entry on what you witnessed…
 * You are a journalist. You report on the events in //Blood Wedding//. You could be a contemporary journalist or a 21st century journalist in Andalusia, looking back on events… 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.
 * You are a Spanish politician. 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 theatre critic. Write a review of an imaginary performance of //Blood Wedding//. Be sure to include substantial focus on the set and setting…
 * 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.
 * 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…

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 Best wishes, Ms. Short


 * REVISING FOR THE JUNE EXAMINATIONS**
 * Paper 2: an essay on texts studied in Part 3 of English A: Language and Literature Friday June 15th**


 * All students, SL and HL**

You will be writing an essay in response to a question that you choose from a list of 6 questions. SL and HL students have the same questions but the assessment criteria differ.

Remember that sample essay questions are on pages 29 and 40 in the IB Guide.

Your essay will be based on two texts (SL) and //at least// two texts (HL)


 * Texts for SL students: //A Doll’s House// and five of Shakespeare’s sonnets**
 * Texts for HL students: //A Doll’s House, Blood Wedding// and five of Shakespeare’s sonnets**


 * Preparing for the examination**


 * You must **re-read all the texts and know them really well**
 * In the plays, as you read/after you **read, take notes** on theme, characterization, setting, props, structure and sequencing (e.g. the opening and closing of Acts/Scenes), language (style, figurative language, translation choices…), motifs etc.
 * **Learn some really short quotations off by heart**. It can be incredibly useful for tying your arguments into the literary texts and really gives your viewpoint authority e.g//.// // It’s over twenty years since I’ve even been to the top of the street, Damn the knife, an angel of a man, Tonight I want a heart split wide…Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?, Bare ruined choirs, the star to every wand’ring bark, a waste of shame, false subtleties…my little songbird, spinal tuberculosis, the street door is slammed shut… //
 * Read up again on the **historical contexts of the texts**
 * Know the author’s full name and how to spell it correctly!
 * Know the century/date of publication/place of publication
 * Know the name of the literary movement /period that each work belongs to and the features that characterize the work
 * Re-read the handouts given in class
 * Read the resources provided on the wikispace or follow the links
 * Specifically, review the Qu+Ans paper on //Ibsen in// Context and the notes from your edition of //Blood Wedding;// see links to Renaissance/Elizabethan/Jacobean England for the Sonnets
 * Remember you can also use EBSCO, JSTOR, Encyclopedia Britannica via Edline
 * Revise the approaches of **different schools of literary criticism** (Marxist, Feminist etc.). You can make a selection and take more notes on how they might interpret the texts you are studying. Re-read the homework and class work you did on this.


 * In the examination**, remember to:


 * Highlight the **key parts of the question** and try to be sure you understand the expectations of the examiner
 * Brainstorm and then **plan** your response for each text you are using
 * In the **Introduction**, refer to BOTH (or all 3) texts and ANSWER the QUESTION with a carefully thought-out **THESIS STATEMENT**
 * Use a Topic Sentence for **each paragraph**, develop it with explanations and examples, and if possible, ‘clinch’ it before you move on. Check you have really developed it as well as you can.
 * Be sure to distinguish clearly the **genre** – drama or poetry. For drama show awareness of the stage, actors, interpretations etc.
 * Refer to as much **detail** of the texts as you can, using quotation and paraphrase. Use **literary terminology**
 * It is not obligatory to compare and contrast the texts you are discussing in the body of your essay. Certainly avoid any forced comparisons. When you see what you consider to be valid similarities or important differences in relation to the question, then state these clearly, with examples.
 * You can use any of the three ‘compare and contrast’ methods we went over in class, but to treat all one text first, then all another, is absolutely fine in Paper 2.
 * In the Conclusion, as in the Introduction, it is preferable to refer to both (or all three) texts.


 * A few ‘Don’t’s’!**
 * No sweeping generalizations e.g. // In all of Shakespeare’s sonnets… //
 * No vague references to ‘// back then’ //, ‘// in the old days’ //
 * No use of conversational language unless necessary and then in single inverted commas e.g. ‘// street smart’, ‘laid back’ //
 * No reference to writer’s by their first name except when you first introduce them with both their names e.g. Henrik Ibsen, and from then on Ibsen

REVISION FOR JUNE EXAMINATIONS 2012

 * PAPER 1 TEXTUAL ANALYSIS Monday 11th June**


 * SL 1 hour 30 minutes Choose one of two texts on which to write an analysis**
 * HL 2 hours Choose one pair of texts (from two pairs) on which to write a comparative analysis**


 * As discussed in class, revision for this examination is fairly straightforward. You should all:**
 * **learn the Checklist off by heart**
 * **add to it 'Thesis Statement'**
 * **add the different elements for Contexts of Production and Reception**
 * **revise technical terminology for figurative language and formats of different text-types**
 * **read through the different textual analyses you have done with my comment and/or your notes to remind yourself of your strengths and weaknesses, what you tend to forget etc.**
 * **do any grammar revision of recurring errors e.g. run-on sentences, punctuation errors in quotations etc. The Owl at Purdue has excellent explanations and exercises, as do a range of other online sites if you don't have your own grammar book**


 * **HL students should remind themselves of the 3 alternative methods for writing a comparative essay with a view to choosing the one you feel most comfortable with in the exam**

__**In the exam**__**:**
 * **Read really attentively and choose carefully**
 * **__Highlight__ the text in detail and write key words/comments in the margins. You may colour code different types of information**
 * **Decide on the order of the main points in your argument**
 * **Spend time reaching a convincing Thesis Statement that you will be able to argue. Write it into the Introduction with the key identifying features of the text**
 * **Remember paragraphs!**
 * **Re-read each paragraph to be sure it is cohesive, well illustrated with examples, and 'clinched', before you move on**
 * **Use ALL the time available to you and proof-read, consciously looking for mistakes. There will be some. Find them!**


 * REMEMBER TO BRING HIGHLIGHTERS AND TO USE BLACK INK TO WRITE!**


 * Good luck!**

Wednesday 6th June

 * 45 minutes to be spent on writing up a textual analysis** on the American Homeland security guidelines text started in class. Remember to work from a strong Introduction and Thesis Statement, and to develop your argument with lots of examples.


 * Exam Revision**: remember to start revising your literary texts.

Wednesday 30th May

 * 1st full draft of second Written Task 1 (A sense of place) due on turnitin by midnight Tuesday 29th May .**

Remember to check all the requirements, using the Guide. Length 800-1000 words PLUS the RATIONALE of 200-300 words. Remember that in the Rationale you explain your goals and therefore set yourself up for success (or failure). The focal point must be how your text demonstrates the Learning Outcomes you select. You also need to mention the 'sense of place'. Remember to be precise in the Rationale and try to give examples from your text. The Rationale in the Guide is explained on page 31 (SL) and 41 (HL). Attribute all sources or models that you use.

Wednesday 23rd May
Essay commentary on Sense of Place text All students should write a textual analysis of their chosen text. It can be a development of the one I have already seen or on a new text you choose. Do try and find a text that interests you and is worth writing about. Remember that there is a wider variety than internet advertising articles! e.g. an extract from a Geography school textbook, a historian’s or anthropologist’s description of a place, an environmental organization’s report on a place, a Town Council’s description of a place that is to be developed, and also song lyrics, autobiographical memories... HL students need to bear in mind that they will need to write a comparative analysis of __two__ texts in the exams, so exploring the characteristics specific to different text types is really useful.

Blood Wedding (HL) for Friday 25th May Treating **controversial statements** about the play Each student has one statement to discuss. Arguments both for and against must be presented and a final evaluation made. The argument must be built around quotations and comments. Post these on the wiki discussion forum on the Blood Wedding Student Work page. Your work will be evaluated. Of course, you can also comment on what other students have written...

Monday 21st May Decision re //Blood Wedding//. Following a spontaneous consensus reached on Friday afternoon, the SL text for Part 3 of the course will be //A Doll’s House// and not //Blood Wedding. Blood Wedding// remains the second text for HL students. //Macbeth// will be the other Part 3 text for all students. From now on, all assignments on //Blood Wedding// will be only for HL students.


 * 2nd Written Task 1 (All students) **

Topic : A Sense of Place

 * 1) Develop the analyses already submitted in greater depth. They are all superficial as they stand. (If you had an extension on this work, do it in some detail for Monday.)
 * 2) Find another, DIFFERENT text type on a 'place'. (See suggestions below for 14th May) and fill out the Checklist Analysis. Bring in the text and Checklist on paper.

Blood Wedding (HL)
Amy - Wife Mother-in-Law - Natasha Mother - Zak Bride - Matthew Neighbour - Charlie
 * Character studies**

Each student should write a character study of around 400 words, constructed around a series of carefully selected quotations from the closing scene (Act 3 scene 2). Be sure to include specific references to language and what you understand Lorca is saying through the character. Your work must be printed out AND emailed to me or on a usb key for assessment.

Wednesday 16th May

 * All students**. Be sure to be up-to-date with the tasks set for last Monday. Late grade penalties are being applied.

Open the following worksheet document. The work is due on Wednesday.
 * HL students** - // Blood Wedding //

Monday 14th May

 * 2nd Written Task 1 All students **

Topic : A Sense of Place
This second Written Task 1 will be focused on non-literary texts, related to Part 1 or Part 2 of the course. (Your first Written Task 1 was on Ibsen’s //A Doll’s House,// Part 3.)

Read the IB Guide (SL p. 30-32, HL p. 40-42). Remember that this Task is an “imaginative way of exploring an aspect of the material studied in the course”. You are going to produce your own text, and in the Rationale explain and analyze what you are trying to show. Your text might be a travel brochure page, an advertisement, a newspaper article on a place, an extract from a Geography school textbook, a historian’s or anthropologist’s description of a place, an environmental organization’s report on a place, a Town Council’s description of a place that is to be developed etc. etc.


 * Your first task, for Monday 14th May** is to contribute to a pool of texts that we will study in class before you each choose what to do for your Written Task. For this, think of a place that you like or that interests you e.g. a place of childhood memories, a holiday destination, a place you disliked or were afraid of, a place you may or may not know but that you care about, perhaps because it is threatened by pollution or development or desertification. The place may have a proper name, like London or Tanzania, or it may be a type of place, like desert or wetlands. The choice is yours.

Once you have decided on ‘your place’, research any type of text on it that appeals to you. Next:
 * Have a **copy** of the text
 * Write a brief **overview** of the text
 * Fill out the **‘Quick Checklist for Text Analysis**’ (available on the wiki Home page)

Blood Wedding


 * 1) **Students who have not yet done the homework for 11th May** should do so. You might want to remember that a grade will be attributed for this collaborative work.


 * 1) **For HL students for Monday 14th May:** select a passage of about 10 lines from Act 2. Copy it out or scan it in and then ANNOTATE it, highlighting key words and phrases and commenting on their significance. You might refer to characterization, community context (Andalusia, nature...), conflict, motifs (e.g. dagger, blood, water, orange blossom, horse etc.)

All students should contribute posts to the page called 'Blood Wedding Student Work'.
As said in class, you should select posts appropriately, thoughtfully. Put in comments and analysis that you think are of interest. It is also very good practice to follow with a comment or a question to see if classmates agree with you or can make suggestions about an idea or query you have.

Be sure to write clearly and put your comments in context. A reasonable degree of accuracy in writing is desirable.

You will receive a grade for the quality of your contribution to the class discussion on this first reading of the play.

**//BLOOD WEDDING// and a Sense of Place**
All students
 * **The Lullaby at the opening of and closing of Act 1 scene 2**. Take organised notes on the lullaby. For example, look for overall meaning, sub-texts (implied meanings), symbols, nature imagery, sensory imagery, emotions etc. Look, too, at who is singing and how knowing the speaker may affect our understanding of the lullaby.
 * Try and remember any lullabies you know. Do you remember any from your childhood?

Students who did not do the homework for Monday Example
 * Do the **missing homework**
 * Compensatory task: draw up a **grid of nature images** in Act 1 scene1 and comment on their significance and effects.
 * **Quotation** || **Context (who, where, when) ** || **Significance, effects** ||
 * “…a man, in the flower of his life” || Mother to Bridegroom, thinking of her dead husband and son || Unexpected metaphor. A flower might be more more commonly associated with female qualities. Here, it evokes life, beauty, growth – but also fragility. It will be cut down… the men, too, are vulnerable ||
 * Monday 7th May**
 * Monday 7th May**

**//BLOOD WEDDING// and a Sense of Place**
Take notes on the following first topics from D. Johnston’s Introduction to the text (or from a different editor if you have a different edition.)
 * Two Tasks**
 * 1) **Background to //Blood Wedding//**

Make concise notes (phrases, not sentences) and use Outline format l.A1.a.b. etc.


 * Topics**:
 * The Nijar incident/Origin of //Blood Wedding//
 * Significance of Andalusia
 * The Amargo/Life and Death


 * 2. In your notes also put:**
 * A map of Spain showing Andalusia
 * Any images you find of Andalusia

**Week of 30 April**
Ensure these are done to the best of your ability.
 * **Corrections to Sonnets essays**

Please ensure you have all written notes and texts, as necessary. A copy of the stimulus text is necessary. After the presentation, the IB requires that you **write a Reflective Statement** on how well you think you did (see page 61 of the Guide.)
 * **Presentation of remaining Further oral Activities.**


 * **Please have a copy of //Blood Wedding// in school.**

**Friday 27th April: Further Oral Activity**

 * Do ensure that you are ready during this double period. We want to start the presentations on Friday. Be sure to have all your activity written up as appropriate and remember to check it against the chosen Learning Outcomes and the grading criteria.**

**Easter Assignment: Further Oral Activity 1 and //BloodWedding// **
Remember that you have 2 assignments over the Easter break:
 * Read **Lorca’s play //Blood Wedding//** (the recommended edition also contains useful background information on the playwright’s biography and the social and historical context.)
 * Prepare your first **Further Oral Activity on the female or male identity topic.**

**Further Oral Activity 1: Parts 1 or Two**

**Topic: Gender (constructions of femininity and masculinity)**

As we did in class, it is essential that you plan your Activity using the IB Guide:
 * 1) Choose one or two Learning Outcomes (pages 18-19)
 * 2) Review the different texts* that we studied in class. Choose one or two that most interest you and that correspond to the Learning Outcome you choose
 * 3) Go through the instructions and examples of Oral Activities suggested (pages 62-63). Choose one that sounds interesting, feasible and that can best lead you to show your understanding of the Topic and the Learning Outcome
 * 4) As you plan the Activity, use the Assessment Criteria (pages 65-67)
 * 5) Remember you will be required to complete a “reflective statement” evaluating how far you think you met your objectives, after completion of the Further Oral Activity

**Please be helpful to each other and upload ‘your’ text, or at least the link to the text**, for all classmates to have access to a wide choice of texts as not all were photocopied for class. Do this on the page Gender Texts on the wiki Homepage. You are not obliged to use the text that you presented in class, nor do you have exclusive rights to it! There will be several different ways to design Oral Activities around a text.
 * **Gender texts**

For example : the UBS Dress Code etc.
 * An ‘undisciplined’ employee of the bank is called in by the boss to explain why she/he broke the Dress Code Rules. Role-play the confrontation or actually write and perform the scene
 * Members of the Board in the bank and a Civil Liberties lawyer discuss reviewing the Dress Code and try to clearly establish the purpose of the Code and what principles it is built on
 * A journalist interviews either an employee or a Senior bank official after the Dress Code received publicity in the media
 * A cultural historian makes a speech on the evolution of the ‘rules of etiquette’ (using Matthew’s and Gerardo’s texts)
 * In a formal debate, the merits or disadvantages of wearing the hijab/veil (Zak’s text), of dressing to be desirable (Taymour’s Redbook text), and of ‘corporate’ dressing (UBS) are analysed and evaluated
 * Student makes a presentation on the issues raised above and provokes a class discussion…

The possibilities are almost endless. Some require working in a group. The choice is yours. Look carefully at the list of options on page 62.

**You must come into class on Monday 23rd April with extensive, detailed, organised notes according to Points 1-5 above.** A speech or scene may be fully written out. A presentation may be written as a detailed plan. A role-play can be ‘improvised’ for performance, but the points you intend to cover must be clearly written up beforehand. The strategies and goals that you will use to meet the Learning Objectives must be clearly stated.


 * Assignments 3-day weekend and the week before Easte**r


 * For Monday 2nd April**
 * Study Sonnet 73 and answer the questions** given on the handout on Thursday. As usual, be strict with yourself and work on understanding the poem by yourself before you turn to the internet for help. This is really important!


 * Wednesday 4th April**
 * Test essay (type: Paper 2) on the 5 Shakespearian sonnets we have studied.**
 * Read and re-read the poems
 * Review all the notes taken in class and add to them as your appreciation grows
 * Consult reputable sources to research further, especially background information for the 'context of production'
 * Read the selection of essay questions in the IB Lang and Lit Guide, pages 29 and 40. Think about how you might use the sonnets to answer some of these. Brainstorm ideas. Stretch yourself.
 * Remind yourself of the requirements for any good analytical essay: Introduction, thesis statement, topic sentences, incorporation of quotations etc.

**'High' students - Written Task 2 Coursework**


 * This will be due before the Easter break, on Turnitin, by midday on Friday 6th April.**


 * The essay should be written out in full, whether or not you completed the Outline and met with me.**
 * Be sure to follow all the instructions in the Guide and to respect the word limit (800-1000 words). Remember that a strong Thesis Statement and appropriate Topic Sentences for each paragraph can really 'make or break' your essay.**
 * Again, use your background reading to give authority to your arguments.**


 * Assignment for Monday 26th March**
 * APPROACHES TO LITERATURE**
 * There have been, and still are, many different ways to approach literature. Different ways of approaching literature can be called ‘Critical Positions’.**

You have been given 2 ‘Critical Position cards’ on two of the following schools of literary criticism:


 * Great Authors
 * Genre Theory
 * Moral
 * Reader-Response Theory
 * Structuralism/Post Structuralism
 * Marxist
 * Psychoanalytic
 * Feminist
 * Cultural Materialist/New Historicist
 * (Post Colonial/Race)

Your task, in class and then at home, is to:
 * Read the definition carefully, ensuring you understand it
 * **Think about the works of Literature we have studied so far (//A Doll’s House//, the Sonnets) from the point of view of the speaker on your card**. Imagine that you were wearing tinted glasses, and could only see the literary texts from that one point of view:
 * Which aspects of the literary text first come to mind? Give examples.
 * What light does this critical perspective shed on the literary work? What would be emphasized? What particular understandings do you gain? Be specific, with examples.
 * What limitations does this point of view impose on your analysis/understanding? What aspects of the literary work might be left out or neglected?


 * You may also answer the questions on the card to help you identify the particular point of view
 * You may use research to more fully understand the school of thought you have been given. You may develop the definition and then share it in class; but remember to cite your sources!
 * Assignment for Wednesday 21st March**


 * Read a short piece of mature critical writing on Sonnet 138 and Sonnet 129. You can just focus on the analysis of 138 if you don't feel up to examining 129 yet!**

Appearances and Verbal Paradox Sonnets 129 and 138 J. Bunselmeyer Shakespeare Quarterly, Vol. 25, No. 1 (Winter, 1974), pp. 103-108
 * You can find it on Jstor (password and user name ISNLIBRARY) or on the homepage here on the wikispace under Poetry.**
 * Reference:**


 * Assignment for Monday 19th March**
 * 1) **Write up at least one paragraph and a series of bullet points or annotations on the 'poetry' of** Sonnet 138 **. Seek out literary devices, identify imagery, reccognise rhythm, select interesting words, examine the tone, the structure, the rhyme... and express the effects and your personal response. Please DON'T just copy ideas from the internet. Give yourself space to think and build your own confidence!**
 * 2) **Read the relevant section in the IB Guide on the Internal Assessment component - the Individual Oral Commentary - pages 59-61. Note, to correct what was said in class, both High and Standard students are given 2 guiding questions! You will soon be assessed on a 'mini' Individual Oral' on one of the sonnets studied.**


 * Assignment for Friday 16th March**
 * Prepare the Shakespearian Sonnet 138 as advised in class.**
 * It is really important for you to spend at least 15-20 minutes trying to decipher it ON YOUR OWN,** before you seek help on the tempting internet. Be honest with yourself! Find out how much you can understand on your own. Then spend another 15-20 minutes looking at the poetry, the literary devices and their effects. Again, use your own skills before you look elsewhere. (It is not a requirement to use any sources. We will be reviewing the poem in class together.)

(Please ignore the numbering - formatting problem)
 * Assignments for Monday March 12th**


 * 1) **A. Nina’s Presentation and the Thesis Statement**
 * 1) **A. Nina’s Presentation and the Thesis Statement**

Imagine you had to write a summary of Nina’s presentation… You don’t, but you do have to write what you think was her Thesis Statement. I see from some of your February assignments on female identity that you still haven’t got the hang of it. Here’s another reminder of what a Thesis Statement is:


 * Usually one sentence in your introduction
 * Is an answer to a question, or a statement of your position on a topic
 * Often makes a claim that others can dispute
 * Tells the reader what to expect in the rest of the paper
 * Is the statement that the rest of the paper will be devoted to explaining and supporting

So write your Thesis Statement carefully and thoughtfully. It may be quite a long, complicated sentence, or it may be short and sweet. Either way, it will respect the points above.

B. **You might look back at your own copy** of the work you did on the female identity texts, and try re-writing the Thesis Statements to re-submit them on Monday. This could still improve your grade. A Thesis Statement for your own ‘essays’ cannot be a summary of the article…


 * 1) If you haven’t already seen it, watch the **Kony 2012** film on Youtube this weekend.


 * 1) Bring into class next week your copies of the **//Metaphysical Poetry// book and the play //Blood Wedding//.**

**HIGH students only**


 * Remember that you must complete the work on __Written Task 2 for Monday__.** This is an important graded assignment.


 * Assignments over the February break**


 * Women and Men Unit: Parts 1 and 2 – Language in Cultural Context + Language and Mass Communication**


 * 1) ** Select 2 Texts on Female Identity **
 * One ‘primary source’ e.g. a company Dress Code, school rules, an advertising standards charter, a law etc.
 * One ‘secondary source’ e.g. an article or broadcast on the topic

For **each** text you should:


 * Fill out the usual **Text Analysis Checklist**
 * Start a **short essay**/commentary as follows:
 * Write a full **Introductory paragraph __containing a clear thesis statement__**
 * Write up at least **2 sample paragraphs** of your commentary on the text, with a clear Topic Sentence and the point developed using quotation or paraphrase
 * Be sure to bring in a **printed copy of the texts and of your ‘essays’**. There will be a ‘late’ grade penalty if you do not do this.


 * 1) ** Read/watch/listen to Shakespeare’s Macbeth **
 * 2) The idea is to get a **basic** understanding of the play so that you are better able to appreciate the performance in school the week we get back. Remember this is a key IB exam text next year!
 * 3) You will have a straightforward graded quiz on this on your return. You need to know who the principal characters are, the main lines of the plot, and to have some impressions of key ideas or themes.

SUBMISSION OF WRITTEN TASK 1 THURSDAY 23RD FEBRUARY

As said in class, we need to set the final deadline for the Written Task 1 on **Turnitin**. It will be on the last day before the February break i.e. Thursday Feb. 23rd at midnight. Please submit a paper copy during the school day, if you can.

Everyone should have had time to catch up after MUN, the snow days and the play. You can no longer show me a full copy of this 3rd version of the written task, but you can come and ask me for help on a particular section or aspect during the school week or by email.

**Advice!**

Before you submit the Written Task 1, check the following:


 * Presentation**
 * Cover page correctly labelled (Written Task 1, //A Doll’s House//, Part 3, name, date, word counts of Rationale and of Written Task itself)
 * Font size 12, line spacing 1 ½ or double; paragraphing
 * Bibliography and footnotes or endnotes
 * Page numbers
 * Graphics may vary for the Written Task itself, if appropriate. The Rationale must conform!

Remember to:
 * Preparation and Revision of your work**
 * Look through the appropriate sections in the IB Language and Literature Guide (handout or on wikispace)
 * Use the Assessment Criteria as a checklist
 * Look through the model we studied at the start (tabloid on //The Tempest//)
 * Double check the comments and suggestions I made specific to your first 2 drafts
 * Use the spell and grammar check. Look out for:
 * Run-on sentences (should that comma be a period-and-capital- letter?)
 * Capital letters, apostrophe ‘s’
 * Slang or inappropriate modernisms
 * Always relate your opinions, interpretations etc. to Ibsen’s purpose, as you understand it
 * Show awareness of contexts of production and reception


 * NOTE: High students - bring your latest version of Written Task 2 to the High lesson on Monday.**


 * Assignments for week of Monday 13th February**


 * No new assignments BUT of course everyone has work to do on __one or all__ of the following:**
 * **Male identity text presentation. This MUST be absolutely ready for Monday, with the essay outline printed out and the text itself on paper so everyone can have a copy. Grades will be affected by late work now.**
 * **Written Task 1**
 * **Written Task 2**
 * **Shakespearian Sonnet**


 * Assignments for Monday 6th February**


 * Complete your work on the ‘male identity’ topic.**


 * Be sure you present your work in the form of an outline for a hypothetical essay
 * You will talk the rest of the class through your outline, explaining and developing the points and examples
 * Be sure to provide a paper copy of both your 'essay' outline and your text/article so they can be photocopied straight away at the start of class. Please no technical glitches!
 * As classes will be interrupted again this week, Standard students please plan to be present 2nd period Monday


 * Submit the 2nd draft of Written Task 1 at latest by Tuesday 7th at midnight on Turnitin**


 * Be sure to submit both the Rationale and the Written Task
 * Note the word counts
 * Fill out the self-assessment sheet (home page wikispace this weekend) and USE it to help you present your work as best you can


 * High Students** - keep going on Written Task 2. The deadline will be for after the Musical but you are encouraged to show Ms. Short your progress in the meantime.


 * Assignments for Wednesday and Friday 1st and 3rd February**


 * All students need to be working on both:**
 * **your Written Task 1 (following the feedback I gave you) and**
 * **the Male Identity text (Part 1 Language in Cultural Context) with your partner or alone.**

On Wednesday you will have 1 period to work on the Male Identity text to produce the detailed essay/commentary outline. This must be ready to photocopy and **present to all class members on Friday.**

The 2nd period of the double will be devoted to work on Written Task 1, but you must show me you have made progress on this meantime.


 * High students** must show me the Outlines for their Written Task 2 essays by next Monday 6th Feb. at the latest.


 * MUN students**: please note that a copy of Shakespeare's Sonnet 116 can be found via the home page on the 'Poetry' page. Remember you need to spend 20-30m trying to write out your 'personal 21st c. translation' of it. You can do this with a friend, but don't cheat and use internet sources. Wait until you've had a go - then cheat!


 * Assignment for Monday 30th January**

**Welcome back to the MUN students!**


 * **Everybody should work on their __Written Assignments__. For MUN students who did not receive feedback before they left, I will post guidelines on how to proceed early Sunday afternoon.**


 * **__High students__ should be sure to show me progress made on their Written Task 2 for the High lesson on Monday.**


 * **__Poetry__: MUN students will need to make up the work we did on Shakespeare's Sonnet 116, but you can wait until we have discussed it in class this week.**


 * Assignment for Wednesday 25th January**


 * Continue work on your Written Tasks (for Standard and High)**


 * Assignment for Monday 23rd January**

__**Continue preparation of 'male identity' text.**__


 * After you have filled out the 'Quick Checklist for Textual Analysis' (document on Home Page), expand those ideas and add others in writing up an outline for a possible essay on the text.**


 * Your Outline should be detailed and use the 'outline function' in Word (as practised in Research Skills).**


 * The Outline should contain a series of Headings with points and subpoints, indicating how your commentary would be structured, from the main ideas to the evidence that is used to support them.**


 * Bring in a paper copy to class for checking.**


 * Assignment for Wednesday 18th January**
 * Part 1 : Language in Cultural Context - Male identity**

As discussed in class, your task is to seek out texts that illustrate male identity. This could be called ‘constructions of masculinity’.

When you have found your text (or 2 if they are short), fill out the ‘**Quick Checklist’** as a start for your analysis.

You might consider the following:


 * Laws, guidelines, manifestoes, policy papers and speeches emanating from government and political parties
 * The constitution of a country
 * Rules/ guidelines/mission statements etc. from organizations regarding how males look or behave e.g. company dress codes, school rules, municipal rulings etc.
 * Songs and or poetry: song lyrics that tend to define male identity e.g. rap, folk etc.
 * Male vs female language
 * School textbooks that give gender images (especially for small children)
 * Religious statements on male identity
 * Public broadcasting statements on gender (focus on ‘male’ here)
 * Advertising authorities statements on representations of gender (‘male’)

Feel free to come up with other ideas, but avoid advertising and cinema (best for Part 2 Mass Communication). Focus primarily on Anglophone countries.
 * Assignments for week of 9th – 16th January**


 * All students (Standard and High)**

Note that this should be your ‘best effort so far’, but you will have more time to improve it. Remember to look at the instructions in the Guide and at the assessment criteria (Standard p37-38; High p52-54)
 * Work on developing your Written Task 1 so that you produce a FIRST DRAFT by Friday** **13th January**. **(Due to 'popular request', this deadline has been extended to Monday 16th January! Ms. Short expects you to do particularly well in your Bio and Math tests...)** This first draft should:
 * Be clearly marked with your name, class, date and title – __Written Task 1 on //A Doll’s House//__
 * 800-1000 words long
 * Be preceded by a complete Rationale of between 200 and 300 words
 * Include footnotes and a ‘list of ‘works cited’ where appropriate
 * Be typed (font 12, double-spaced etc. unless your text-type requires other conventions)
 * Include separate word counts of the Task itself and of the Rationale
 * Be submitted to Turnitin by 16.00 on Friday


 * High Students only – Written Task 2**

You need to start work on your Written Task 2 on //A Doll’s House//. **By class on Monday 16th January**, as explained in class, you need to produce a **General Outline**:


 * Re-read the requirements for Task 2 on pages 42-46 of the IB course Guide
 * Choose 1 of the 6 set essay titles on pages 45-46
 * Specify the ‘Area of study’, either Reader, culture and text, or Power and privilege, or Text and genre
 * Explain how you are going to apply the chosen question to //A Doll’s House//e.g. explain clearly which “different reader” or which “different time and place”, or which “social group” you intend referring to
 * Write a General Outline of your essay, including
 * 5-6 key points or headings
 * Some examples and/or key quotations
 * Use the ‘outline’ function in Word)
 * Note down questions or difficulties you have

Note that you will be presenting a graded Detailed Outline to the rest of the class. The final essay will become part of your Written Tasks portfolio, from which the best work will be chosen for external assessment by the IBO.


 * Assignment for Monday 9th January**


 * Written Task 1**


 * Over the weekend, you must work on your Written Task 1.** There are several different ways of going about this, but if you work for between one and two hours, you should make significant progress.

Depending on the Task you have chosen, you might do several of the following:

The play
 * List the topics/issues you want to focus on in //A Doll’s House//
 * Write notes on these
 * Highlight or copy out relevant quotes
 * Make a note of areas you feel unsure of and write down the questions you know you need to answer

Ibsen - Remind yourself of who Ibsen is and why he is famous - Re-read the editor’s notes in your edition of the play - Re-read the notes on Ibsen in historical context (Realism, the problem play etc.) - Research reputable sites (Jstor, Ebsco via the school website, educational sites etc.) and read up on the aspects of the play that most interest you

Your text-type
 * Brainstorm the key features of the text-type you have chosen (tabloid newspaper article, 21st c. theatre review, editor’s preface, epic poem, scene from play, 19th c. letter etc.)
 * Research the text-type features if you are unsure; **record your sources**

Rationale
 * Keep re-working your __Rationale__ and refining your goals

Writing up
 * Write up some of your Written Task
 * Note questions/worries in the margins or in brackets
 * Remember this is ‘work in progress’!


 * Be honest! Try and work in a concentrated manner for a couple of hours and bring in something to show for it on Monday.**

**PLAN AHEAD!**

**Plan to produce a __full first draft__ of your Written Task 1 by __Friday 13th January__**

ASSIGNMENTS FOR WEEK OF 12TH DECEMBER Assignment for Friday 9th December. Art Trip students, please take note! Initial Prep for the ‘Written Tasks’
 * This coursework for English A Language and Literature constitutes** 20% **of your final IB grade and is** assessed externally**.


 * Standard level students must submit 1 out of 3 Written Tasks completed during the course.
 * High level students must submit 2 out of 4 Written Tasks completed during the course.


 * Your first experience of completing a Written Task will be based on a literary text from Part 3 of the course – //A Doll’s House// by Henrik Ibsen.**


 * Before class, read carefully the handout extract from the Guide*, which explains the nature and requirements of the Written Task for Standard or High levels.**


 * Highlight what seem to be the key points for you
 * Write questions next to any points that are unclear to you
 * Study the examples of Written Task ideas on **literary**texts
 * Think about 2 or 3 ideas for what //you// might like to do on A Doll’s House and list these so that we can discuss them in class

Also, note that you have a __graded commentary/essay in class on Wednesday 14th December__ on an extract selected from //A Doll’s House.//
 * __**If you do not have the handout, you can find the extract in the Guide, which is posted on both Edline and the wikispace. Standard level, pages 30-32; High level, pages 40-42 (Task 1)**__
 * __Remember to bring the Handout on the Written Task__ to class on Monday when Standard students will need to be present for the double period (the ONLY ‘teaching period’ this week!)

Weekend Homework

//A Doll’s House// **- Do the following work and post the example you think you did best on the wikispace Assignments Discussion page. Bring all your notes to class.**

1. Theme of self-realisation


 * Ibsen’s characters often struggle for self-realisation and suffer from a range of constraints that hinder this self-realisation. Nora is not the only character in this situation.**

Find at least two good examples in //A Doll’s House// where this lack of self-realisation is evident.** (Students who were in class Friday must find examples we did not discuss!)
 * Select a key quotation,
 * Explain the context
 * Comment on how effectively Ibsen expresses this state


 * 2. Use of lighting and sound-effects **


 * Find three examples, at least one of each type, where these staging effects are used by Ibsen** (Again, students who were in class find new examples!)
 * Describe the occasion: specify which Act, put it in context, quote if appropriate
 * Comment on the effects/symbolism


 * Assignments for Monday 5th December**

First – for any student who has not submitted any of the 3 recent homework tasks:
 * Annotation of the theatre reviews
 * Questions on Ibsen’s historical and literary background
 * Notes on the symbolism of the tarantella and the knitting

BE SURE that you __submit the theatre review work and the background questions,__ and that you took meaningful notes on the tarantella etc. The questions are graded. __Any__ prep work not done may be noted as a zero.


 * New assignment for Monday:**

Torvald speaks at length in Act 3 between the moment he reads Krogstad’s letter and the moment the IOU is returned. **Select a passage of only 10-15 lines** of his. Ideally you should copy this out or copy/paste it so that you can annotate it. Either way, take **notes** to make a detailed analysis of this small passage.

Comment on: //**A Doll's House**//
 * characterization
 * dramatic irony
 * language choices
 * development of themes
 * actor interpretations
 * significance of props, set, lighting at that moment,
 * any other features that occur to you when you look closely at the passage.
 * Assignment for Friday 2nd December**
 * Research the 2 following references:**
 * 1) What is **the Tarantella**? Discuss how you think Ibsen is using the symbolism of the tarantella?
 * 2) '**Knitting'**. Identify this symbol and discuss its meaning in Act 3 where Helmer talks to Mrs. Linde about her knitting.

**Background Information on Henrik Ibsen**
 * Assignment for Wednesday 30th November**

You need to reinforce your understanding of the context in which Ibsen wrote and be able to better appreciate the reasons he is considered ‘the father of modern drama’, the writer who changed theatre radically…

Below I have reproduced the assignment you were set on **October 16th**. Class discussions and student writing often suggest you have not integrated this background information in your thinking.

Background reading on Henrik Ibsen set on October 16th Read the background material on Ibsen provided in the Henrik Ibsen folder on the class homepage.

You should print out the document, highlight it as you read it, and take your own notes on the information you find most interesting and which concerns //A Doll's House// and //Hedda Gabler//.

You should also have already read the Editor's notes in your own edition of the Ibsen plays. Use this material too.

Finally, consult another source of your choosing. Be sure to make a note of the source and preferably print it out for note-taking and reference in class

In particular, be sure you are familiar with the terms:
 * romanticism
 * the 'well-made play'
 * realism
 * naturalism
 * symbolism
 * the 'problem play'
 * social drama

These terms all describe **a type** of play or **movement in the history of theatre**.


 * Your assignment for __Wednesday 30th November__ is to answer the following questions.**

For each answer, you need to write a paragraph or so. You will need to use your previous notes or research each term. As you write, try to use your own words, but you can quote if you find a straightforward definition that really makes sense to you.

Be sure to list the sources that you use at the end of your work.


 * 1) What does ‘Romanticism’ mean in a literary sense? In what ways is //A Doll’s House//not Romantic?
 * 2) Find a definition of Aristotle’s ‘Unities’ in drama. How far does //A Doll’s House//correspond to the definition?
 * 3) How far is //A Doll’s House//an example of a ’Well-Made Play’, and how far is it not? Explain.
 * 4) What do ‘realism’ and ‘naturalism’ have in common and different? In what ways is //A Doll’s House//an example of ‘Realism’ and in what ways of ‘Naturalism’?
 * 5) ‘What are the features of a ‘problem play’? How far does this term describe //A Doll’s House//?
 * 6) Is //A Doll’s House// mostly social or psychological drama? Give your opinion and justify it.


 * Assignment for all students for Monday 21st November**


 * Using Theatre reviews of //A Doll’s House//**

Skim through some of these theatre reviews. The staging of these performances is varied and sometimes surprising… The critics often write in a lively fashion and you should find it easy to select one that appeals to you and do the following:


 * Select 4 or 5 passages from the review and comment on each as you please. For example, you might choose**:
 * A summary or judgement on Ibsen and/or //A Doll’s House//that you find very well written or helpful for your understanding
 * A description of a performance/staging/setting/interpretation that surprises or intrigues you
 * A comment by the critic that you find very insightful/ unexpected/ intriguing/arguable etc.


 * You can do this work by** printing out the review and annotating it by hand or by copy/pasting extracts and then typing up your comments. You can also post this work on the wikispace Assignments Discussion Forum, if you wish.


 * Note: if you have any difficulty using the links,** you will find them easily in a Google search using ‘theatre review A Doll’s House’ as search terms.

[]

[]

[]

[|http://www.westendextra.com/reviews/theatre/2011/jul/theatre-review-doll’s-house-arcola-theatre]

[]

//**A Doll's House**//
 * Assignment for Standard students for Friday 18th november**


 * Using the wiki discussion forum, discuss the following question on the part of Act 2 that we read in class:**


 * One critic from the Yale Drama School has asserted that "Nora's domestic life was a performance increasingly out of control". How far is this true of Nora in Act 2 so far?**


 * Use brief text references and/or quotations to illustrate your comments.**


 * Assignment for High Level students for Friday 18th November**

High students must prepare to present their comments on the two film versions of Act 1. Find a time when you can **work in groups** on this. If that is really not possible before Friday, organize to **work individually**, sharing out the video.
 * Analysis of film versions of //A Doll’s House//**


 * Notes should be in electronic format** and clearly organized to present to class members and to post on the wikispace.


 * Plan to show the video and to pause it** to make comments to the class. Each presentation should last for a single period, so you can ‘fast-forward’ if necessary to focus on what interests you.


 * You should consider the following features and any other aspects that strike you:**


 * Setting
 * Characterization (including physical appearance, costumes, language, movement etc.)
 * Order
 * Pacing
 * Camera work
 * Anything added in or left out


 * Assignment for the next 'long weekend', due Monday 14th November**

__Write an essay of approximately 600 words in answer to the following question:__


 * In Act 1 how far does the Helmer household illustrate the title phrase “A Doll’s House”?**


 * Guidelines**

In your argument, be sure to include consideration of the following aspects:


 * contexts of production and reception
 * Ibsen’s purpose, as you understand it
 * an awareness of the stage
 * possible interpretations by director/actress/actor
 * stage directions
 * the significance of language – style, tone, imagery etc. (even in translation…)


 * Advice**
 * ‘Do’s’**
 * Quote accurately, as briefly as possible, and punctuate quotations correctly
 * Contextualise your quotations
 * Follow the Act in order unless you have a good reason not to
 * If you use any sources, acknowledge them
 * In your **Introduction**, give a clear response to the question
 * Choose your language VERY carefully
 * Avoid quotations, details, examples
 * Make it interesting!
 * In the **Body**, paragraph carefully
 * Start each paragraph with a Topic Sentence
 * Develop with examples, quotations, paraphrase and comment
 * Try and clinch your point at the end of each paragraph
 * In your **Conclusion**, restate your main idea(s)
 * Restate as creatively as possible (perhaps more ‘personally’)
 * Possibly suggest related ideas to explore further
 * Perhaps refer forward to the rest of the play


 * ‘Don’t’s’**


 * Don’t only discuss Nora and Torvald
 * Don’t tell the story too much but do summarise or paraphrase to contextualise quotations
 * Don’t ever use the words ‘quote’ or ‘quotation’!
 * Avoid using ‘I’ (or ‘we’ or ‘one’)! For example, use ‘ these lines suggest…”, “it seems that..”, “it is evident that…”, “Nora is certainly expressing …” etc.
 * Don’t slip into an informal register (e.g. ‘kids’, ‘weird’, ‘can’t’ etc.)


 * Assignment for the 'long weekend'! Next class November 9th.**

//**A Doll's House**//


 * Post your responses to these questions on the wiki discussion forum. You don’t need to answer all 4 straight away. Someone needs to ‘start the ball rolling’ and then others can respond to previous posts. Your comments don’t need to be long. They can go from a sentence to a paragraph.**


 * Remember to put the question number and say who you are responding to.**


 * Don’t wait until the last moment. Please get this going asap to give time to build up a discussion.**

**//A Doll’s House//** Act 1 from “ KROGSTAD. Your father died on 29 September…” to the end of Act 1.


 * 1) In the conversations with Krogstad and Helmer, Nora is confronted with some **apparent truths/ realities of a legal, social or scientific nature.**Identify these ‘truths’ in the text and discuss how the male characters and Nora talk about them. Comment, too, on what you think might be Ibsen’s purpose at these points e.g. the presentation of certain contemporary beliefs. How do you think a 19th century audience may have responded then and how might a 21st century audience respond now?
 * 2) We mentioned ‘**dramatic irony’** while play-reading in class. Look up a few definitions and find one that makes god sense to you. Make a note of it; then find some examples of dramatic irony in the conversation between Nora and Helmer at the end of Act 1.
 * Explain how each example produces dramatic irony – who is ‘in the know’ and who isn’t
 * Discuss how the actors might portray this situation on stage
 * Make reference to Ibsen’s stage directions
 * Discuss what mood or atmosphere might be created on stage
 * Discuss possible audience responses

3. **How far do you think Nora is sincere and how far do you think she is calculating** in her exchange with Helmer when she says “Please, Torvald, I never get anywhere without your help”?

4. Use a thesaurus to find the best **key words** to describe **Helmer’s attitude to Nora** when he catches Nora out lying about Krogstad having been at the house (from “Nora, Nora…” to “Has my little Nora come to //that// conclusion?”)

__Homework assignment for Monday 12th September__

You have already read the second Australia text and guessed at its origins. Now you can know the answer! It is the transcript of a lecture given by a writer called David Malouf, broadcast on Australian national radio in 1998. Did you get it right? Not an easy one…

a) Now, annotate the text as best you can, using the skills you were developing on the previous Australian text. You can also use the previous questions to help you if you run out of ideas.

b) What is similar and what is different about the way the 2 texts present Australia? Write down your response to this question, too.

__In-class assignment Friday 9th September__


 * In Ms. Short’s absence…**

Continue working on the Australia text from the Travel Guide.


 * 1) **The ‘High’ students should work as ‘teachers’** with a group of ‘Standard’ students, going over the analysis and annotation of the text that we did together last lesson. Each student must WRITE down the annotations, not just listen!

Remember to adopt a colour-code to help categorise the different parts of your analysis e.g. technical language features, format/graphics, themes


 * 1) Still working in the same groups, you must **complete the annotation of the whole text** so that it is covered in colour and writing, reflecting your excellent analytical capabilities!

As you go, check that you are coming up with answers to the following questions:


 * What is the purpose of the text? To inform? To entertain? What else?
 * How has the writer’s writing helped achieve these purposes?
 * How would you describe the tone of the text? Does it change?
 * What are the chief ‘clues’ that indicate the target audience and the time period the text was written in?


 * 1) **A little separate task**

Imagine this text being read by a different audience from that targeted. For whom might this text NOT be appropriate and successful in achieving its purpose? Think of a particular case and write down some specific examples of where the text could be problematic and inappropriate.

__Assignment for Monday 5th September 2011__

Continue classwork on textual analysis of context, content and presentation


 * 2nd article on Australia **

Read and analyze this article as we did in class with the Travel Guide article ◦ who wrote it ◦ for whom ◦ where and when ◦ why? for what purpose? Jot down your answers ◦ genre ◦ tone ◦ style ◦ any interesting expressions, use of format etc.
 * Try and work out
 * Annotate the text by highlighting words and phrases and jotting down your observations on:

You will probably spend about 45 minutes on this