Week 30:

AP Literature Exam Thursday, May 10, 2007

When reading The Great Gatsby this week think about the values and goals that Fitzgerald describes in the chapters. Do they conflict with your own? Remember, each chapter is rich in imagery, symbols, foreshadowing, juxtaposition, irony, paradox, sentence patterns, and speech styles. And within this mastery of literary techniques is Fitzgerald’s criticism of a materialistic society focused on this American Dream. For this, The Great Gatsby is a social epithet, and a work that has endured to tell us something about the human condition, which is universal.

Have a really good week, work hard, and enjoy your spring break!

DUE DATES:

Wednesday, April 4: Read Chapter 4, The Great Gatsby

SPRING BREAK ASSIGNMENTS:

1. Read and annotate chapter 5, The Great Gatsby
2. Complete the "Spring Break Fitness Plan" -- if you misplace the handout, download a copy under AP EXAM PREP- this is due, typed by Tuesday, April 17.

Week 30 MS Word

Week 30 pdf

If you have questions about these assignments, please leave a comment or email me directly. Remember, I will check the blog until 9:59 pm. You know I need my Seinfeld fix.

Week 29:

AP Literature Exam Thursday, May 10, 2007


F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel The Great Gatsby, published in 1925, is often acclaimed the best picture of the years tagged the “Jazz Age.” It offers a vividly realistic portrayal of the artistic, political, and economic climate of the 1920s. It discloses the psychological outburst of release from enforced sacrifice and deprivation of WWI.

In the nine chapters Fitzgerald captures the myth of the “American Dream” with its hope, search—the knight looking for the grail – and illusion, as corruption, intolerance, prejudice, and self-interest lead to tragedy.

Each chapter is rich in imagery, symbols, foreshadowing, juxtaposition, irony, paradox, sentence patterns, and speech styles. And within this mastery of literary techniques is Fitzgerald’s criticism of a materialistic society focused on this American Dream. For this, The Great Gatsby is a social epithet, and a work that has endured to tell us something about the human condition, which is universal.

Have a really good week, work hard, and look for a rainbow!

DUE DATES:

Thursday, March 29: Read Chapter 2, The Great Gatsby
Monday, April 2: Read Chapter 3, The Great Gatsby

Week 29 MS Word

Week 29 pdf

If you have questions about these assignments, please leave a comment or email me directly. Remember, I will check the blog until 9:59 pm. You know I need my Seinfeld fix.

Week 28:

AP Literature Exam Thursday, May 10, 2007

GOING WITH THE FLOW

It has been said that you can never put your foot in the same river twice. Rivers are alive, flowing, and in constant motion. The river that was there a moment ago is long gone. The same is true for poetry, music, art, and even movies. We never really hear the same song twice or see the same piece of art twice. What we bring to a second or third or hundredth exposure to a song or a painting is always different than the time before. We bring memories, feelings, and sensations. And the effect is cumulative. Even when I run, I never really run the same route exactly the same. It is impossible for me to recreate the exact circumstances for each run. I can’t have the same weather or the same people around me. I bring to each run a new sensation and experience. My point here is that each of us brings our own experiences to poetry. However, it is essential to try to become the poet when you read his/her poem. Walk in the shoes of the writer. Determine who is speaking, what the poem is about, and how the poet created the meaning (literary devices). Trust the poet, then all will be well.

Stay focused this week in our quest to better understand poetry. It really is beautiful and powerful. Perhaps, then your preconceived myth of poetry could be altered in a more positive way.


On The Great Gatsby:

Just about every other sentence in the novel is a textual moment. A significant theme is American Idealism corrupted by materialism. When reading the book look for ways Fitzgerald describes social class divisions in the 1920s and how the setting emphasizes the differences between the classes.

When annotating consider imagery, diction, syntax-- language. This is how Fitzgerald gets his point across. Look up vocabulary words that are unfamiliar. Always choose a meaningful quote, then be able to explain its significance within the context of the piece.

Smile abundantly this week! I am proud of all of you!

DUE DATES:

Friday, March 23: Final Research Paper due.
Monday, March 26: Read Chapter 1, The Great Gatsby
Wednesday, March 28: Read Chapter 2, The Great Gatsby

Week 28 MS Word

Week 28 pdf

If you have questions about these assignments, please leave a comment or email me directly. Remember, I will check the blog until 9:59 pm. You know I need my Seinfeld fix.

Week 27:

AP Literature Exam Thursday, May 10, 2007

ATTENTION: THE RESEARCH FIRST DRAFT IS EXTENDED TO MONDAY, MARCH 19---

NO EXCUSES FOLKS...BE PREPARED ON MONDAY....

De-Mystifying Poetry:

Some key questions to consider when analyzing and explicating the poems:

• Who is the speaker?
• What is the poem about?
• Why is the first stanza longer than the second?
• Does the poem have a rhyme scheme? If so, what is it and what is its significance?
• Do you notice any sound devices? Alliteration? Assonance? Consonance? What is the significance of the devices you identify?
• How do the devices create meaning?

Continue reviewing your AP Literary terms and tone words.

Have a great week and remember, be empathetic to each other and work diligently...I always notice!! Smile, too!

DUE DATES:

Thursday, March 15: Gatsby research paper drafts due.
Tuesday, March 20: Final Research Product due

Week 27 MS Word

Week 27 pdf

If you have questions about these assignments, please leave a comment or email me directly. Remember, I will check the blog until 9:59 pm. You know I need my Seinfeld fix.

Week 26:

AP Literature Exam Thursday, May 10, 2007

De-Mystifying Poetry:

"Poetry is a mirror which makes beautiful that which is distorted." ~Percy Shelley-1821

We move into our second week unraveling the ambiguity within a canon of poetry that has endured for centuries. I am impressed with our in-class discussions; they are complex, insightful, and sophisticated. Be prepared for class-- that means annotate the poems and reflect in your journals...this will allow you to participate in class.

Here are a few more key questions to consider when analyzing and explicating the poems:

• Who is the speaker?
• What is the poem about?
• Why is the first stanza longer than the second?
• Does the poem have a rhyme scheme? If so, what is it and what is its significance?
• Do you notice any sound devices? Alliteration? Assonance? Consonance? What is the significance of the devices you identify?
• How do the devices create meaning?

Continue reviewing your AP Literary terms and tone words.

Have a great week and remember, be empathetic to each other and work diligently...I always notice!! Smile, too!

DUE DATES:

Monday, March5: Gatsby research topic due.
Wednesday, March 7: Class held in computer lab: research topics
Friday, March 9: Thesis statements due

Week 26 MS Word

Week 26 pdf

If you have questions about these assignments, please leave a comment or email me directly. Remember, I will check the blog until 9:59 pm. You know I need my Seinfeld fix.