Julius Caesar
Act 2 Scene 1
Act 2 Scene 2
Act 2 Scene 4
Act 3 Scene 1
Act 3 Scene 2
For the exam, there is a good chance that you will be uncovering the subtext for a famous speech in the Play NOT covered in presentation.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Lit devices and Shakespeare common word list
If you would like to download a copy of either the "lit Devices" or the "Shakespeare common word list" you may do so at...
http://drop.io/kaplanela9
Simply enter the password: kaplanela9
to enter the site and download the files
http://drop.io/kaplanela9
Simply enter the password: kaplanela9
to enter the site and download the files
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Exam Themes in "To Kill a Mockingbird"
The Mockingbird Theme
The title of the novel alerts us to the importance of this theme. It comes from an old proverb that “it's a sin to kill a mockingbird”. The children first hear this from Atticus, when he gives them air rifles as Christmas presents (Chapter 10). He tells them they should shoot only at tin-cans but, seeing that they may well shoot birds, allows them to shoot the very common bluejay (regarded in the USA rather as pigeons are in the UK) but not mockingbirds. (Modern readers, especially in the UK, where many bird species are protected by law should note that hunting birds is considered acceptable sport in most parts of Europe and the USA even today. In the 1930s most children would have seen it as normal to hunt animals and birds.)
Scout is puzzled by this remark and asks Miss Maudie Atkinson about it. Miss Maudie says that:
“Mockingbirds don't do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. They don't eat up people's gardens, they don't nest in corncribs, they don't do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. That's why it's a sin to kill a mockingbird. ”
The mockingbird of the proverb is a harmless creature which does its best to please its hearers by singing, but which is defenceless against hunters. (Perhaps hunters with a sense of sport would avoid the bird, as being too easy a target.) The wrongness of killing the bird is evident, but it becomes a metaphor for the wrongness of harming innocent and vulnerable people.
In the novel, while we associate the mockingbird generally with weak and defenceless people, there are two characters who are more explicitly likened to the bird. These are Tom Robinson and Arthur Radley. Why are these two like the mockingbird?
Tom is physically disabled, but his real weakness is his social position - he is a black man, to whom a white woman has made sexual advances, so he must be destroyed.
Arthur is psychologically disadvantaged - he is very timid and almost incapable of being integrated into Maycomb's society.
The author makes the comparison clearer in Chapter 25. Here, B.B. Underwood spells is out for his readers, writing in his editorial that it:
“...was a sin to kill cripples, be they standing, sitting or escaping. He likened Tom's death to the senseless slaughter of songbirds by hunters and chidren...”
Scout notes that Mr. Underwood was writing so children could understand. She is a child and she understands. Many of the novel's readers will also be children. (You should be aware, though, that it was written for adult readers. Harper Lee could not have foreseen that the novel would become a set text for pupils in so many schools.)
As the children set off for the pageant (Chapter 28), Jem hears a mockingbird and jokes that Boo must not be at home. There is an obvious irony in that he is very wrong in associating Boo with “haints” and “hot steams” but is right in his joking suggestion that Boo is not at home. Not only is Boo out of doors (or just about to leave) but his doing so is what delivers the children from real and very human danger, not the gothic fantasies of Halloween. But there are more odd pointers:
when the bird starts to sing, the children are in front of the Radley house
the bird is “solitary” and unaware “whose tree he sat in”
When Heck Tate (Chapter 30) tells Atticus that he will not let Boo be exposed to publicity, he insists that “...draggin' him and his shy ways into the limelight...” is “...a sin. It's a sin and I'm not about to have it on my head...”
Scout shows that she understands Mr. Tate completely, when she says:
“Well, it'd be sort of like shootin' a mockingbird, wouldn't it?”
Atticus embraces Scout, to acknowledge that she is right.
Stereotyping
To Kill a Mockingbird sets out to challenge some stereotypes but it may also reinforce some alternative stereotypes. One common criticism of the novel is that the black characters are idealized. Lula is an exception, objecting to the appearance at First Purchase of the Finch children.
Harper Lee attacks the stereotype of the promiscuous and sexually voracious black man, but she endorses the stereotype of "White trash", in the Ewell family. In the USA there are many people who disapprove of dependency on the state, and on welfare payments - both the poor Cunninghams and the wealthy (but emotionally poor) Radleys are proud of their self-reliance.
The stereotype of aristocratic white women is held up to ridicule - their virtue is seen as excessive delicacy, and they appear as selfish and hypocritical. Scout wants to be like a boy, because she likes to be active. In general, the novel depicts men more favourably - or perhaps it shows that men may commit worse actions but women are more spiteful in what they say. Perhaps only a woman can be so tough in depicting her own sex (in this respect, Harper Lee writes rather in the manner of Jane Austen).
In a novel with a huge cast of characters, there is no reason to avoid using stereotypes in every case. There are plenty of characters, from Atticus to Dolphus Raymond, from Miss Maudie to Boo Radley, who do not conform to any stereotype.
The title of the novel alerts us to the importance of this theme. It comes from an old proverb that “it's a sin to kill a mockingbird”. The children first hear this from Atticus, when he gives them air rifles as Christmas presents (Chapter 10). He tells them they should shoot only at tin-cans but, seeing that they may well shoot birds, allows them to shoot the very common bluejay (regarded in the USA rather as pigeons are in the UK) but not mockingbirds. (Modern readers, especially in the UK, where many bird species are protected by law should note that hunting birds is considered acceptable sport in most parts of Europe and the USA even today. In the 1930s most children would have seen it as normal to hunt animals and birds.)
Scout is puzzled by this remark and asks Miss Maudie Atkinson about it. Miss Maudie says that:
“Mockingbirds don't do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. They don't eat up people's gardens, they don't nest in corncribs, they don't do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. That's why it's a sin to kill a mockingbird. ”
The mockingbird of the proverb is a harmless creature which does its best to please its hearers by singing, but which is defenceless against hunters. (Perhaps hunters with a sense of sport would avoid the bird, as being too easy a target.) The wrongness of killing the bird is evident, but it becomes a metaphor for the wrongness of harming innocent and vulnerable people.
In the novel, while we associate the mockingbird generally with weak and defenceless people, there are two characters who are more explicitly likened to the bird. These are Tom Robinson and Arthur Radley. Why are these two like the mockingbird?
Tom is physically disabled, but his real weakness is his social position - he is a black man, to whom a white woman has made sexual advances, so he must be destroyed.
Arthur is psychologically disadvantaged - he is very timid and almost incapable of being integrated into Maycomb's society.
The author makes the comparison clearer in Chapter 25. Here, B.B. Underwood spells is out for his readers, writing in his editorial that it:
“...was a sin to kill cripples, be they standing, sitting or escaping. He likened Tom's death to the senseless slaughter of songbirds by hunters and chidren...”
Scout notes that Mr. Underwood was writing so children could understand. She is a child and she understands. Many of the novel's readers will also be children. (You should be aware, though, that it was written for adult readers. Harper Lee could not have foreseen that the novel would become a set text for pupils in so many schools.)
As the children set off for the pageant (Chapter 28), Jem hears a mockingbird and jokes that Boo must not be at home. There is an obvious irony in that he is very wrong in associating Boo with “haints” and “hot steams” but is right in his joking suggestion that Boo is not at home. Not only is Boo out of doors (or just about to leave) but his doing so is what delivers the children from real and very human danger, not the gothic fantasies of Halloween. But there are more odd pointers:
when the bird starts to sing, the children are in front of the Radley house
the bird is “solitary” and unaware “whose tree he sat in”
When Heck Tate (Chapter 30) tells Atticus that he will not let Boo be exposed to publicity, he insists that “...draggin' him and his shy ways into the limelight...” is “...a sin. It's a sin and I'm not about to have it on my head...”
Scout shows that she understands Mr. Tate completely, when she says:
“Well, it'd be sort of like shootin' a mockingbird, wouldn't it?”
Atticus embraces Scout, to acknowledge that she is right.
Stereotyping
To Kill a Mockingbird sets out to challenge some stereotypes but it may also reinforce some alternative stereotypes. One common criticism of the novel is that the black characters are idealized. Lula is an exception, objecting to the appearance at First Purchase of the Finch children.
Harper Lee attacks the stereotype of the promiscuous and sexually voracious black man, but she endorses the stereotype of "White trash", in the Ewell family. In the USA there are many people who disapprove of dependency on the state, and on welfare payments - both the poor Cunninghams and the wealthy (but emotionally poor) Radleys are proud of their self-reliance.
The stereotype of aristocratic white women is held up to ridicule - their virtue is seen as excessive delicacy, and they appear as selfish and hypocritical. Scout wants to be like a boy, because she likes to be active. In general, the novel depicts men more favourably - or perhaps it shows that men may commit worse actions but women are more spiteful in what they say. Perhaps only a woman can be so tough in depicting her own sex (in this respect, Harper Lee writes rather in the manner of Jane Austen).
In a novel with a huge cast of characters, there is no reason to avoid using stereotypes in every case. There are plenty of characters, from Atticus to Dolphus Raymond, from Miss Maudie to Boo Radley, who do not conform to any stereotype.
English Language Arts Exam Review
Mr. A. Kaplan – Gray Academy of Jewish Education
June Exam
(15% of Final Grade)
The Final Exam will consist of 3 parts: Essay Question, Multiple Choice, and Shakespeare Subtext.
Materials: To Kill a Mockingbird – Harper Lee, Julius Caesar – Shakespeare, Multiple Choice (based on Literary Devices and Shakespeare vocabulary)
Part 1: Essay Question
Note: Please review this outline carefully in order to fully understand the complex expectations of your exam. Furthermore, the exact essay question will not be known until the day of your exam.
For this in-class exam, you are expected to have: a) read and re-read To Kill a Mockingbird b) researched the related themes (Stereotypes, Mockingbird) by reviewing the novel and making notes of quotes that will help support your essay topic.
In a persuasive essay 300-500 words in length you will be asked to explore one out of two possible essay questions. The essay questions will relate to themes discussed in class, related to To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. On the exam you are advised to read all the essay questions carefully and assure to achieve ALL of the assigned criteria of the 1 question you select.
Formatting
Your essay must follow the formatting laid out in “Andrew’s super happy paper format”. In other words, all the font selections, margin requirements, text size, etc. must coincide with the assigned paper format in order to receive a passing grade.
Your essay should concisely introduce your thesis in the first 2 sentences and then provide all the fundamental points for your essay in the remaining introductory paragraph. Each paragraph should then begin with the thesis statement for that paragraph and follow with a description and support for said point.
Your concluding paragraph should articulately reiterate and boil down your main points in support of your fundamental issue and introductory paragraph.
June Exam
(15% of Final Grade)
The Final Exam will consist of 3 parts: Essay Question, Multiple Choice, and Shakespeare Subtext.
Materials: To Kill a Mockingbird – Harper Lee, Julius Caesar – Shakespeare, Multiple Choice (based on Literary Devices and Shakespeare vocabulary)
Part 1: Essay Question
Note: Please review this outline carefully in order to fully understand the complex expectations of your exam. Furthermore, the exact essay question will not be known until the day of your exam.
For this in-class exam, you are expected to have: a) read and re-read To Kill a Mockingbird b) researched the related themes (Stereotypes, Mockingbird) by reviewing the novel and making notes of quotes that will help support your essay topic.
In a persuasive essay 300-500 words in length you will be asked to explore one out of two possible essay questions. The essay questions will relate to themes discussed in class, related to To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. On the exam you are advised to read all the essay questions carefully and assure to achieve ALL of the assigned criteria of the 1 question you select.
Formatting
Your essay must follow the formatting laid out in “Andrew’s super happy paper format”. In other words, all the font selections, margin requirements, text size, etc. must coincide with the assigned paper format in order to receive a passing grade.
Your essay should concisely introduce your thesis in the first 2 sentences and then provide all the fundamental points for your essay in the remaining introductory paragraph. Each paragraph should then begin with the thesis statement for that paragraph and follow with a description and support for said point.
Your concluding paragraph should articulately reiterate and boil down your main points in support of your fundamental issue and introductory paragraph.
Permitted Supplies:
You may use post-it’s to identify relevant quotes and themes in your To Kill a Mockingbird text. Julius Caesar may also be brought into the exam. Both your book and your post-it notes MAY be brought into the examination room and used as resources for your exam. Separate pages of notes or electronic resources are NOT permitted.
Part 2: Subtext in Julius Caesar
You will be given an excerpt from the play Julius Caesar and will be asked to provide the subtext in the space provided. The subtext should be analyzed in the same fashion as the class performances.
Part 3: Multiple Choice
This Section will be based on the two tests that were administered on Literary Devices and Shakespeare vocabulary. Questions will require identification of correct definitions.
Location
Your exam will take place in the upstairs computer lab at 8:50am on
WEDNESDAY JUNE 17. During the exam you will be permitted use of the school computers and Microsoft Word; Internet access is FORBIDDEN (those found using the Internet for ANY reason during the exam will receive a ZERO) and ANY electronic resource such as a thumb drive or smart disk is also disallowed.
Consider the following:
Use the ‘cheat sheet’ I gave you to find articulate connecting words; two sentences in a single paragraph should not begin with the same word.
Citation for this paper will be APA (American Psychological Association). You must have in essay citation if you are using words which are NOT your own. Please note: although you are required to write a bibliography, I will not be docking marks for formatting.
Note: each relevant section listed below (ideas, style, etc) is marked from 1 to 10
1 - 2 = objective not achieved, unsatisfactory
3 - 4 = objective achieved but work requires complete revision
5 - 6 = objective meets grade level
7 - 8 = Student meets objectives and shows exceptional ability in assessed area
9 - 10 = Goes beyond expectation and shows mastery of relevant objective.
· Organization (do your ideas flow logically, do you have a proper thesis statement in your intro, followed by linear points with evidence? Is there an intro, body, and conclusion? Does each of your paragraphs begin with a thesis statement and then have supporting points with evidence?) -
· Style (do you have a command of the English language? Can you augment your transitions using a different word to begin each sentence in a single paragraph? Can you effectively introduce quotes to support your ideas? Do you have stylistic flow? Are your sentences fragmented or fluid, are they concise or muddled?) -
· Ideas (do your ideas showcase understanding of the text and relevant questions; do your ideas explore the question/text in a logical and creative manner?) -
· Assigned criteria (did the student answer the question and following instructions, this includes the ‘paper format’)-
Mechanics (spelling, grammar, punctuation) –
You may use post-it’s to identify relevant quotes and themes in your To Kill a Mockingbird text. Julius Caesar may also be brought into the exam. Both your book and your post-it notes MAY be brought into the examination room and used as resources for your exam. Separate pages of notes or electronic resources are NOT permitted.
Part 2: Subtext in Julius Caesar
You will be given an excerpt from the play Julius Caesar and will be asked to provide the subtext in the space provided. The subtext should be analyzed in the same fashion as the class performances.
Part 3: Multiple Choice
This Section will be based on the two tests that were administered on Literary Devices and Shakespeare vocabulary. Questions will require identification of correct definitions.
Location
Your exam will take place in the upstairs computer lab at 8:50am on
WEDNESDAY JUNE 17. During the exam you will be permitted use of the school computers and Microsoft Word; Internet access is FORBIDDEN (those found using the Internet for ANY reason during the exam will receive a ZERO) and ANY electronic resource such as a thumb drive or smart disk is also disallowed.
Consider the following:
Use the ‘cheat sheet’ I gave you to find articulate connecting words; two sentences in a single paragraph should not begin with the same word.
Citation for this paper will be APA (American Psychological Association). You must have in essay citation if you are using words which are NOT your own. Please note: although you are required to write a bibliography, I will not be docking marks for formatting.
Note: each relevant section listed below (ideas, style, etc) is marked from 1 to 10
1 - 2 = objective not achieved, unsatisfactory
3 - 4 = objective achieved but work requires complete revision
5 - 6 = objective meets grade level
7 - 8 = Student meets objectives and shows exceptional ability in assessed area
9 - 10 = Goes beyond expectation and shows mastery of relevant objective.
· Organization (do your ideas flow logically, do you have a proper thesis statement in your intro, followed by linear points with evidence? Is there an intro, body, and conclusion? Does each of your paragraphs begin with a thesis statement and then have supporting points with evidence?) -
· Style (do you have a command of the English language? Can you augment your transitions using a different word to begin each sentence in a single paragraph? Can you effectively introduce quotes to support your ideas? Do you have stylistic flow? Are your sentences fragmented or fluid, are they concise or muddled?) -
· Ideas (do your ideas showcase understanding of the text and relevant questions; do your ideas explore the question/text in a logical and creative manner?) -
· Assigned criteria (did the student answer the question and following instructions, this includes the ‘paper format’)-
Mechanics (spelling, grammar, punctuation) –
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)