Piano Lesson assignment for Monday October 1st!

We have now finished reading the play and are viewing the made for television version in class. We will most likely finish it on Monday. If you were absent on Friday, you can view the film on youtube, just make sure it looks like the version of the clip we watched of the men in the play singing "Berta Berta". We stopped right about the time Doaker begins to explain the origins of the piano. Today we started watching the film, along with receiving our group project assignment that you will begin in class next week. Over the weekend, you need to address the following topics and blog your responses. Responses need to be a paragraph in length, (about 5-7 sent) if not more.

1) What do you think "the piano lesson" is?
2) Why did August Wilson choose this title?

At the end of the play, Boy Willie finds himself at odds with Sutter's Ghost and decides to leave the house and return peacefully once and for all to Mississippi.

3) How is it that Boy Willie comes to understand the importance of the piano in the final scene of the play?

Berniece has had the power all along to rid the house of Sutter, yet she doesn't use her power until the final scene when she sings to her dead ancestors.

 4) What is significant about her calling out the names of her dead family members?

5) What purpose does this serve?

Ownership

What is owned in the play? What do the characters wish they owned?

Respond to this on the same paper you have written about motifs and symbols. Due by tomorrow's class!

September 24th!

In class today, you received time to work on your group characterization projects. Make sure you complete your role as you will be limited on time tomorrow to work on them. Be sure to finish reading Act. II scene 3 tonight and use the information given today in the play to add onto your character description.

I asked you at the end of class to think about this statement: Choose any character from the play and decide what they symbolize within the motif of social mobility. This is not a formal journal entry, but do reflect carefully on how your character showcases this idea. Go back and look at your notes and the article over the weekend to refresh about social mobility.

This is not a blog post! Write out your response for class tomorrow!

greetings...fun times over the weekend!

Hello adolescent children:

You have an article to read  over the weekend and two questions to respond to...the article covers the topic of social mobility and how it's diminishing slightly in America. Think about the author's point of view, consider what we discussed in class on Friday and connect any themes you see in the article with the Piano Lesson. Have fun guys!

In order to access the article, follow these steps:

1) open an internet browser
2) google the following...the downward path to upward mobility
3) the first thing that should pop up on google is an article with that title from the Washington Post with a small icon of a man... the author, Fareed Zakaria. Click on the the link and read the article.

Questions!
 Why  does Zakaria think that social mobility is going down in the United States? What do you think about his conclusions?

What is the biggest factor for getting the US back on track with the American Dream and social mobility? Why?

Make sure to post your responses on your blog!

Papers papers and papers

Papers and Papers and Papers and Papers

Hope your papers are going well. Remember each body paragraph should include:
1. Topic Sentence
2. Quote Introduction
3. Quote
4. Explanation of WHY quote is an example of the technique you're talking about.
5. Analysis of effect
6. More analysis-say what you need to say! John Mayer!


Email me at mcoulson@ttsd.k12.or.us if you have questions.

Blog assignment 3: Piano Lesson Act 1

So far in the play, we've been introduced to the characters Boy Willie, Doaker, Lymon and Berniece. Think about the following questions and respond to them regarding what you've read so far.


1. Who are the ghosts of the Yellow Dog?


2. How is the "n word" used so far?

3. What is the Irene Kauffman Settlement House?

4. What is Parchman Farm a historical reference to?

Theme notes

Theme: arriving at an understanding of what the author is saying about the subject or subjects.

Literary Devices:
Characterization: how the characters think, feel, and act?

1. Values-what people, places, or things, are most important in the character's life?
2. Feeling-what emotions does the character feel most strongly?
3. Goals- what are the character's greatest hopes? What do they want to accomplish?
4. Problems-what other character's or circumstances are keeping the character from achieving his or her goals?

Conflict: central source of tension/drama
1. Character vs. Character
2. character vs. society
3. character vs. nature
4. character vs. self

*does LOTF conflict/s fit one of these?  * can you state the central problem/s of the story?


Theme equation=subject=what's the author saying+how are they saying it? This contributes to identifying the theme, but then you need to decide what you think about that theme.

Be working on your essays for Friday!

sample coding for passage 10

Example of coding a section of passage 10 (page 155)

“Hullo. Fancy meeting you, Ralph.”

“We just been in the forest.--"

“—To get wood for the fire—"

“—we got lost last night—.”

Ralph examined  his toes.

“You got lost after the…”

Piggy cleaned his lens.

“After the feast,” said Sam in a stifled voice. Eric nodded. “Yes, after the feast.”

“We left early,” said Piggy quickly, “because we were tired.”

“So did we—"

“—very early—"

“—we were very tired.”

-- Repetition of dashes

"" Use of dialogue between Ralph and Samneric

Bold-diction exposing the fear in the boys, expresses their reluctance to tell the truth

underline-repetition of the word tired, signal word for excuse=denial=Golding's way of showcasing the boys increasing fear that the beast is them.

Coding!

Coding is the marking of the techniques in the passage; analysis is explaining the effect of those techniques!

Homework:
Find an element or technique in passage 8 or 9 on your white slip of paper. Mark as many times as you see that technique, as well as others and code the text with symbols, markings, colors. etc.  Then, write a paragraph identifying the technique and explaining its effect. Your paragraph should be at least 7 sentences in length. Post the paragraphs on your blog before class starts Wednesday, September 12th.

Remember:

• Embrace the fact that you have already read the entire book. Draw from other parts of the book to inform your analysis of the effect.
• Don't stop asking "what is the effect of this" until you absolutely can not dig any deeper. For example: Alliteration. What is the effect of this? Creates a rhythmic sound. What is the effect of this? Mirrors the sound of the ocean. What is the effect of this? Highlights the water locked setting. What is the effect of this? Associates the rhythmic consistency of the ocean to the programed nature of humans to follow a pattern. What is the effect of this? Creates an almost trance like mood. What is the effect of this? Develops the theme that human nature will always revert to a natural and instinctual pattern of behavior.

Here's an example from your academic tutor:

“Though he had taken off his school sweater and trailed it now from one hand, his grey shirt stuck to him and his hair was plastered to his forehead. All round him the long scar smashed into the jungle was a bath of heat. […] The naked crooks of his knees were plump, caught and scratched by thorns. He was shorter than the fair boy and very fat. He came forward, searching out safe lodgments for his feet, and then looked up through thick spectacles”

S – Alliteration:

C – Alliteration:

Th – Repetition:

Diction/tone – Adjectives that indicate disability/weakness:

All of the negative attitudes describing Piggy on the first page serve two purposes. First, it makes him unrelatable/unappealing to the reader. As Piggy will eventually progress to be the icon of the civilization we would like to hold as valuable, being described negatively makes that ideal more distant, demonstrating that our civilization isn’t as inherent as we would like it to be. Secondly, focusing on disabilities largely found in ‘developed’ societies, Golding identifies Piggy with all the weaknesses of the modern world. Being “plump” and having “thick spectacles” shows how Piggy is dependant on society to treat his shortcomings.

First blog writing assignment

This weekend's homework (to be done on your blog)

1. Choose a key passage (either 5, 6, 7)
2. Find a symbol in your key passage and CITE a part of the text discussing the symbol.
3. Explain the effect of the symbol
4. Try to connect your symbol to a larger theme we see in the book

Post by Monday's class!

Creating a blog!

You will need to create your own blog to complete assignments for this class. In order to do that, you need to follow these steps. You're blog does not have to be created until Monday's class, so you have tonight and all weekend to play around with it.

1. Go to blogspot.com
2. Login using your TTSD account. Your username is your esis login@ttsdstudents.org (example 12mcoulson@ttsdstudents.org). Your password is your student ID number.
3. Click "continue"
4. Click "new blog"
5. Assign a title and domain name for your blog. Save your information.
6. Find my blog and follow it.
7. Email me your blog address...mcoulson@ttsd.k12.or.us