If You Can't Go to School, Go to . . .

Schoolsville.

84 degrees, cool breeze.

Always.

Cool topics and cool people.

It's not a state. It's a state of mind.

Sharpen your mind at Schoolsville. So that you don't end up at Dullsville.





Here are some testimonials:


"When I can't make the Lakers' games, I'm blogging in Schoolsville."

Jack Nicholson






"I've been 'Workin' on a Dream' at Schoolsville for years."

Bruce Springsteen












"Schoolsville? Sure beats diagnosing mystery ailments for all of the idiots I work with."


Dr. Gregory House








" To quote the man himself, 'Schoolsville is absolutely Coolsville.' After an afternoon of bad Idol auditions, I'm off to Schoolsville."


Paula Abdul

Seniors---Cuckoo's Nest Introductory Power Point

Available on Studywiz! Read to learn about the historical, political, and cultural background of the Cuckoo's Nest era.

Cuckoo's Nest reading schedule

The reading schedule and assignments for One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest will be updated here at Schoolsville at this blog entry.

For now, complete pages 9-41 before class on Monday. For class that day, bring 10 insightful questions and/or comments about those pages for class discussion.

Complete up through p. 69 for class on Tuesday.

Sophomore Extra Credit Due Jan. 27

Three points extra credit if you post before Tuesday, January 27.

Read President Barack Obama's inauguration speech posted at this link and answer the following questions:

1. Note three metaphors

2. Note three allusions to either history or the Bible.

3. What part(s) of the speech did you enjoy most? Why?

Sophomore Essay Assignment

Assignment: Write a three to four page, five-paragraph analytical essay on The Catcher in the Rye.

Format: MLA style (heading, title, double-spaced, numbered pages)

Special instructions: Circle your central idea. Underline your thesis statement in your first paragraph. Underline your topic sentences in your body paragraphs.

Due date: February 3

What is an analytical essay?

An analytical essay "analyzes" some method or writing technique of the author that YOU have noticed (or that we have discussed). That method might be some motif (like materialism) or theme (like Holden's desire to save childhood innocence). That method might be the use of characters to reveal some theme (like the use of Ackley, Stradlater, and Sally Hayes to show "phony" adolescents). That method might analyze settings, objects, symbols, etc.

Here is a review of the many motifs and themes that we have covered from which you might come up with a central idea: religious hypocrisy, corruptive nature of money, phonyness of the adult world, phonyness of the adolescent world, falling imagery, catching imagery, Catcher in the Rye symbols, etc.

The manner in which you present your analysis might be through analyzing characters, their actions, their descriptions, or their dialogue. You might want to analyze by looking at objects, specific scenes, or settings in the book. This is up to you. This decision becomes your thesis statement.

You are pointing out what you've noticed through your analysis. After I read your analytical paper, when I re-read the novel, I will do so with an understanding that I did not have before.

You are NOT to use any outside sources at all! Doing so will result in a grade of zero for plagiarism.

To be handed in on Monday, January 26, write a central idea and thesis statement for your essay. Circle your central idea and underline your thesis statement.

Central idea (this is a clear statement of the point that you wish to make by

your analysis of the novel)

Holden's heroes are idealized innocent children, a notion that contributes to

his problem of not wanting to grow up.

Thesis statement (this is a sentence or sentences that include how you wish

to prove the central idea)

Without an adult role model, Holden looks to three inspirations to remain in his state of arrested development: his dead brother Allie, his childhood friend Jane Gallagher, and his beloved younger sister Phoebe.

Jumping Through Hoops--Senior Essay Assignment

OK, you've performed this "trick" before, and it's time to prove to me and the world that you haven't lost your touch. Jump through the multi-paragraph hoop one more time for your English teacher, so that we can move on to bigger and better things--like your research papers.




That's it. Good dog . . . er. . . good student.

Before you read your assignment, check out these Stupid Pet Tricks from the David Letterman Show (click on the link) if you have some time to kill.

Assignment: Write a 3-4 page multi-paragraph analytical essay on any one of the short stories that we've read this year.

Format: MLA style (heading, title, double-spaced, numbered pages)

Special instructions: Circle your central idea. Underline your thesis statement in your first paragraph. Underline your topic sentences in your body paragraphs.

Due date: February 2

Suggestions: read the sample essays and the hints that proceed them in your Big White Book
Research and outside resources are forbidden. Plagiarism of any type will be penalized severely.

Semester Exam--Concepts of Fiction and their application to Johnny Bear and Soldiers Home

Yes, that's officially the longest title of all my blog entries. According to the Guiness Book of World Records, the song with the longest title is "I'm a Cranky Old Yank in a Clanky Old Tank on the Streets of Yokohama with my Honolulu Mama Doin’ Those Beat-o, Beat-o Flat-On-My-Seat-o, Hirohito Blues" written by Hoagy Carmichael in 1945 (Hoagy is the guy banging on the 88's in the photo. The woman is Lauren Bacall. The movie is To Have and To Have Not, based on a Hemingway novel). Carmichael later claimed the song title ended with "Yank" and the rest was a joke.

You've been warned. This exam is no joke.

Here's what you should review.

All notes, definitions, ideas, concepts--about art, fiction, dialogue, setting, narrative technique, points of view, description/imagery, characterization, theme, etc. I have posted the copies of your first two tests on Study Wiz for review. However, study your notes on all of these topics for the exam.

Do you have to know about each individual story or portion of a story that we studied? Yes, and no.

Yes. You should be able to recall basic important information for each story, like author, setting, importance of dialogue or summary, description, characterization, and point of view.

No. I won't ask you to recall detailed specifics from the stories, with the exception of Johnny Bear and Soldiers Home. For these stories, any question is fair game, like something as seemingly unimportant as "what does the word fumadiddle mean?"

For both stories, be able to both identify and analyze the setting, narration, dialogue, and plot (for important scenes). Know the characters and methods of characterization. Know the points of view and be able to express how they are important. Be able to recall specific lines, names of characters, bits of dialogue, and narration. Be able to discuss themes in both stories.

Know those two stories very well, especially Soldiers Home. Since I will NOT discuss this story in class with you---look up words, places, expressions, . . . that you don't know. Research some basic background biographical information on Ernest Hemingway (the story's author) that might relate to the story. Be able to express what you believe is the style of that story, using the language of style discussion found in the introduction to style in your big white book.

If you want to listen to some classic Hoagy, click on this link to hear his classic Stardust.

# 4 Seniors--Point of View PURPLE CLASS

# 4 Seniors--Point of View PURPLE CLASS

In the movie, The Dead Poets Society, English teacher John Keating (played by Robin Williams) stands on his desk, and invites his students to do the same, in order to see the world from a different point of view. When Keating is fired at the end of film, his students stand on their desks in tribute to their "captain." You'll just have to watch the film to understand all of this, but you don't need to in order to complete this journal assignment.

For this fourth and final journal exercise of the second marking period, you'll learn how point of view effects a story.

Here's the scene that you will write about--- It's lunchtime at a large diocesan Catholic school in Delaware with these three characters: Joe, Tom, and Susan. Tom and Susan are high school seniors and have been dating for a while. Joe is Tom's best friend, but he and Susan don't get along too well. Tomorrow all three have a big Calculus test, but tonight, the football team is playing in the state finals (it's a Sunday night football game--it could happen). Win or lose, a big victory party is planned afterwards, and "everyone" is invited.

Tom is torn—to study or not to study, that is the question.

Susan is very certain of her position. Knowing that Tom needs a good Calc grade this semester to get into Virginia Tech (to which she has already been accepted), Susan feels the need to get together with him to study; to her, the football game is not an option.

Joe, on the other hand, will definitely attend the game and the party, and hopefully with his friend, Tom. Whether Susan joins them is up to her.

The three are in the middle of a conversation at lunch. Tom and Susan are the major characters, while Joe observes and participates as much as you want him to.

Choose one of the following points of view to tell your story of what takes place:

Interior monologue—the reader gets to tune in to somebody's train of thought or stream of consciousness. Choose either Tom, Susan, or Joe. See "A Telephone Call" in Points of View for an example.

Dramatic monologue--another first person point of view. The reader gets to overhear someone speaking aloud to another person. The "other person" does not respond. See "Straight Pool" in Points of View for an example.

First person observer narration (minor character)—narrated by Joe, a minor character, who focuses his storytelling on the couple, frequently giving his personal insights. "Johnny Bear" is an example of observer narration.

First person subjective narration—told by Tom or Susan soon after the conflict, as in "A &P."

First person detached autobiography—told by Tom or Susan some weeks later, like "The Lucid Eye in Silver Town."

Now "everyone" has to complete this assignment for the journal. However, the first 11 students to post (using the 11 possible points of view suggested above) get four extra credit points.

#4 Sophs--From a Different Point of View

If you don't trust Holden as a reliable narrator, how about if you tell your version of the story? YOU, of course, are NOT you. You will now retell some part of the Holden chronicles from the point of view of any one of the characters in the book, like Mr. Spencer, Phoebe, Stradlater, Ackley, Jane Gallagher, Sally Hayes, Mr. Antolini, etc. If you don't want to retell any one incident, then just tell me what you think of this Holden character.

In completing this assignment, try to imagine how your character would "talk" to the reader. In other words, don't make your character sound like Holden.

Any worthwhile and creative assignment of this type is going to be at least a FULL page long.

Publish before Friday night for three extra credit points.

# 4 Seniors--Point of View RED CLASS

In the movie, The Dead Poets Society, English teacher John Keating (played by Robin Williams) stands on his desk, and invites his students to do the same, in order to see the world from a different point of view. When Keating is fired at the end of film, his students stand on their desks in tribute to their "captain." You'll just have to watch the film to understand all of this, but you don't need to in order to complete this journal assignment.

For this fourth and final journal exercise of the second marking period, you'll learn how point of view effects a story.

Here's the scene that you will write about--- It's lunchtime at a large diocesan Catholic school in Delaware with these three characters: Joe, Tom, and Susan. Tom and Susan are high school seniors and have been dating for a while. Joe is Tom's best friend, but he and Susan don't get along too well. Tomorrow all three have a big Calculus test, but tonight, the football team is playing in the state finals (it's a Sunday night football game--it could happen). Win or lose, a big victory party is planned afterwards, and "everyone" is invited.

Tom is torn—to study or not to study, that is the question.

Susan is very certain of her position. Knowing that Tom needs a good Calc grade this semester to get into Virginia Tech (to which she has already been accepted), Susan feels the need to get together with him to study; to her, the football game is not an option.

Joe, on the other hand, will definitely attend the game and the party, and hopefully with his friend, Tom. Whether Susan joins them is up to her.

The three are in the middle of a conversation at lunch. Tom and Susan are the major characters, while Joe observes and participates as much as you want him to.

Choose one of the following points of view to tell your story of what takes place:

Interior monologue—the reader gets to tune in to somebody's train of thought or stream of consciousness. Choose either Tom, Susan, or Joe. See "A Telephone Call" in Points of View for an example.

Dramatic monologue--another first person point of view. The reader gets to overhear someone speaking aloud to another person. The "other person" does not respond. See "Straight Pool" in Points of View for an example.

First person observer narration (minor character)—narrated by Joe, a minor character, who focuses his storytelling on the couple, frequently giving his personal insights. "Johnny Bear" is an example of observer narration.

First person subjective narration—told by Tom or Susan soon after the conflict, as in "A &P."

First person detached autobiography—told by Tom or Susan some weeks later, like "The Lucid Eye in Silver Town."

Now "everyone" has to complete this assignment for the journal. However, the first 11 students to post (using the 11 possible points of view suggested above) get four extra credit points.