Tag Archive for vocabulary

AP Lang: Shooting an Elephant SOAPSTone

September 4, 2018 / / No comments

Standards

  • ELAGSE11-12RI1 Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text, including determining where the text leaves matters uncertain. Georgia ELA
  • ELAGSE11-12RI3 Analyze a complex set of ideas or sequence of events and explain how specific individuals, ideas, or events interact and develop over the course of the text. Georgia ELA
  • ELAGSE11-12RI2 Determine two or more central ideas of a text and analyze their development over the course of the text, including how they interact and build on one another to provide a complex analysis; provide an objective summary of the text. Georgia ELA

Learning Target
Students will examine Orwell’s “Shooting an Elephant” and perform a SOAPSTone analysis to consider the effects of mass hysteria.

Opening Session
VOCAB! Take ten minutes to define these words and then let’s unpack them together:

  1. Hysteria
  2. Allegory
  3. Puritanism
  4. Crucible **Get both definitions!
  5. Juxtapose
  6. Paranoia
  7. Persecute
  8. Creed
  9. Heathen
  10. Partisan

Work Session
After we do vocab, we’re going to be reading an essay by a guy named George Orwell. If you ever read Animal Farm or 1984, this is the same author! Today we’re reading “Shooting an Elephant.”

I’m giving you copies of the text, so I want you to read and annotate as you go. You may NOT use a highlighter – use a pen or pencil to underline, circle, make notes in the margins, etc. The reason I’m saying no highlighters is because you’re not allowed to have them on the AP test 🙂

We’re going to use a reading strategy called SOAPSTone to talk about this essay today.

  • Speaker
  • Occasion
  • Audience
  • Purpose
  • Subject
  • Tone

Make a chart with all those letters on your own paper, and we’ll go through each of them together so you have a solid understanding of the essay.

After reading, annotating, and SOAPSTone-ing, I want you to answer some critical reading questions, which I’ll put on the board for you to answer on your own paper.

Closing Session
Think-Pair-Share: Think for a minute about how the concept of hysteria applies to the essay we read today. Discuss what you think with a partner, and then we’ll take a few volunteers to share.

Assessment
Formative (reading questions, class discussions)

Differentiation
Process (Scaffolding, annotated text as needed)

World Lit: From Book 1, The Rage of Achilles

August 20, 2018 / / No comments

Standards

  • ELAGSE9-10RL1 Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text. Georgia ELA
  • ELAGSE9-10RL2 Determine a theme or central idea of text and closely analyze its development over the course of the text, including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by specific details; provide an objective summary of the text. Georgia ELA
  • ELAGSE9-10RL3 Analyze how complex characters (e.g., those with multiple or conflicting motivations) develop over the course of a text, interact with other characters, and advance the plot or develop the theme. Georgia ELA
  • ELAGSE9-10RL6 Analyze a particular point of view or cultural experience reflected in a work of literature from outside the United States, drawing on a wide reading of world literature. Georgia ELA

Learning Target
Students will read the beginning of The Iliad and answer reading comprehension and analysis questions.

Opening Session
Vocab!!! Take ten minutes to look up these words, then we will unpack them together 🙂

  1. incense
  2. plunder
  3. sacrosanct
  4. harrow
  5. bereft
  6. brazen
  7. wreath
  8. loiter
  9. impulse
  10. spurn

Work Session
Next up, let’s read The Rage of Achielles and Hector Returns to Troy. I would like you to answer the reading comprehension questions at the end of the section.

We also need to briefly discuss the concept of in medias res, or, “in the middle of things.”

Closing Session
Let’s close out the day by sharing something we found interesting in the reading today. I know the language is hard, but it’s a pretty cool story – what did you like reading?

Assessment
Formative (questions)

Differentiation
Process (scaffolding) Interest (high-interest mythology text)

World Lit: Act I, Scene Tuesday

September 5, 2017 / / No comments

Standard:

  • ELAGSE9-10RL3 Analyze how complex characters (e.g., those with multiple or conflicting motivations) develop over the course of a text, interact with other characters, and advance the plot or develop the theme.

Learning Target: I can understand how Brutus feels conflicted about his role in Caesar’s assassination; I understand how Brutus’s motivations help advance the plot of the play.

Opening Session: A kind of weird but funny Caesar animation, just to get your laughing and activate your brains to reading! https://osborne10thlit.com/videos/drama/JuliusCaesartheHighlyCondensedVersion.wmv

Work Session: Today we need to spend most of class reading Julius Caesar. We have to finish act I, which doesn’t sound like a lot, but in reality act I has some of the most crucial parts of the play. As we read, we will pause frequently to discuss, but I want you to always keep these things in mind:

  • Why does Cassius want to kill Caesar?
  • Why does he need Brutus’s help?
  • How do the people feel about Caesar?
  • How does Brutus feel about Caesar – and why does that conflict with his feelings about Rome?

I want to focus in on some very specific lines and talk a bit about rhetoric as well today. In Cassius’s long speech in act I scene ii, he uses several tactics to convince Brutus that Caesar is not only ambitious, but that he’s unfit to rule anyway. After we read that, let’s go back and read it again, but this time, I’m going to get my bell out and ring it every time Cassius uses a rhetorical technique to try and convince Brutus.

Spoiler alert, he actually does win Brutus over to the cause, so I guess you can say it worked out well for him!

We will also read act I scene iii today, which is really there to set the mood more than anything.

Closing session: Ticket out the door: What is your impression of the characters in the play so far? I told you yesterday who the bad guys are, but what about Caesar? Does he sound like a super awesome person? What about Brutus? Does he sound like a good guy or a bad guy? Give me a short paragraph discussing what you think about the characters so far!

VOCAB LIST!!!!

  1. Cobbler
  2. Knave
  3. Cull
  4. Exalted
  5. Vulgar
  6. Shrill (or shriller)
  7. Hinder
  8. Countenance
  9. Construe
  10. Cogitations

Assessment: TOTD can be assessed summatively, participation grades for readers and in-class discussions.

Differentiation: Process, Interest, Readiness (varied length reading parts chosen by students); kinesthetic learning style (a student could ring the bell).

World Lit: How can I phrase this…

August 7, 2017 / / No comments

Standard: ELAGSE9-10L1 Demonstrate command of the conventions of Standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.

  1. Use parallel structure.*
  2. Use various types of phrases (noun, verb, adjectival, adverbial, participial, prepositional, absolute) and clauses (independent, dependent; noun, relative, adverbial) to convey specific meanings and add variety and interest to writing or presentations.

Learning Target: I can identify different types of phrases and use them in writing; I can revise writing to include phrases and parenthetical expressions.

Opening Session: Mental Floss – 38 Common Spelling and Grammar Mistakes

Work Session:

Welcome back to Monday, everyone! I know you’re SUPER EXCITED for today because it’s….GRAMMAR! Whoo! Okay, okay, I know, grammar isn’t your favorite, but this is important, and it WILL make us stronger writers. SO flip in your text to page 18, activity 1.4, and let’s learn about phrases!

After we go through activity 1.4 together, I am going to hand back out your constructed responses from Friday, along with some highlighters. I want you to go through your own writing and highlight where you have used at least 5 phrases. Then, trade with a buddy and have them identify the types of phrases you highlighted. Finally, trade back, and go through your writing with an editor’s eye. See if there are any places where you could have included, modified, or moved phrases around to strengthen your writing and show more of your individual voice.

Closing Session: To close out the day, I’m going to give you guys your first Vocabulary List! You can use the remaining time in class to look up the definitions of these words (hint: they’re in your text) and on Friday, we will have a vocab quiz, so get ready!!

  1. Indignity
  2. Reproach
  3. Listlessly
  4. Bellows
  5. Mesmerizing
  6. Trills
  7. Arpeggio
  8. Reverie
  9. Fiasco
  10. Nonchalantly

Differentiation: Process (differentiated vocabulary list as needed)

Assessment: Informal – check of students’ work with phrases.

Gilgawednesday!

May 4, 2016 / / No comments

Standard: RL.9-10.4. Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the cumulative impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone (e.g., how the language evokes a sense of time and place; how it sets a formal or informal tone).

Learning Target: Students will read the first half of The Epic of Gilgamesh selection from our text, and make a thinking map to explain who the main character is.

Activator: Star Trek? Really?

So, after watching our snazzy video today, we’re going to dive into reading Gilgamesh! Are you excited? YOU SHOULD BE!

Just in case any of you guys are reading from home or ISS or something, here is a link to the full text of Gilgamesh. We’re reading excerpts from this text in our book – you want to search in the PDF for The Battle with Humbaba, The Death of Enkidu, The Story of the Flood, and The Return.

Epic of Gilgamesh, Translated by N.K. Sandars

And today we’re going to read the first two of those sections, plus the prologue. Afterward, we’re going to talk about the things that make Gilgamesh into an archetypal hero. What’s that? Archetype?

ar·che·type/ˈärk(i)ˌtīp/

Noun:
  1. A very typical example of a certain person or thing.
  2. An original that has been imitated.

(vocab list, vocab list…)

Anyway, to discuss who and what Gilgamesh is, let’s make…dundunDUN!!! A THINKING MAP!!!!

I would like each of you to make a bubble map to explain who Gilgamesh is. That means you put Gilgamesh’s name in the center of the bubble map and write adjectives in the bubbles around it. All these adjectives should describe Gilgamesh. I want you to have at least five. For those of you that are new to this whole thinking map thing, here’s what a bubble map looks like:


Who doesn’t love ice cream?

Now, here’s the catch. For each of your adjectives, I want you to prove to me how you know this. And you’ll do so with evidence in the form of quotes from the story. For right now, go forth and make your bubble map and start finding your quotes. Tomorrow…the REAL work begins!!!

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