Tuesday, December 21, 2010

One of the greatest moments in recent football history...

Get ready for an Eagles-Patriots Super Bowl!

Monday, December 20, 2010

Homework 12/20

1) Antigone Test!

-review over "Civil Disobedience" paragraph 5&7, Rawls' definition
-key vocabulary terms (Greek Theater/dialogue diction)
-Oedipus background

Here's a PowerPoint review:
http://www.clifton.k12.tx.us/teacherpgs/finstadb/Antigone%20Test%20Review2.ppt


2) Poetry Out Loud
-check the list outside the classroom whether you are presenting on Wednesday or Thursday

3) Final ROAR post due @5pm, then go and watch the snow fall

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Honors
-submit your finished Short Story (draft #9) to turnitin.com and via e-mail to 826publishing@gmail.com

Saturday, December 18, 2010

ROAR III: Book into Film

For this term, select a book from the list below. Read the book, and compose 4 posts to your ROAR blog. Then, read the film adaptation of your book. Compose 1 post that makes use of film terms and analyzes how it adapts the book.

Do select a book that interests you, but also one that you will be allowed to watch the film version (check to see what the film is rated).
You are required to prove you legally watched the film, so no downloading or streaming.

Playing the Enemy by John Carlin
Invictus is the true story of how Nelson Mandela joined forces with the captain of South Africa's rugby team, Francois Pienaar, to help unite their country. Newly elected President Mandela knows his nation remains racially and economically divided in the wake of apartheid. Believing he can bring his people together through the universal language of sport, Mandela rallies South Africa's underdog rugby team as they make an unlikely run to the 1995 World Cup Championship match.

The Blind Side by Michael Lewis

Michael Oher is a poor, undereducated teenager in Memphis, whose father was murdered and whose mother was a crack addict. He is shuffled through the public school system, despite his low grade point average and absenteeism. His living situation is noticed by the wealthy Tuohy family. They take him in and he succeeds both athletically and academically, becoming one of the top high school football prospects in the country.

The Haunting of Hill House Shirley Jackson
This is a perfect work of unnerving terror. Four seekers arrive at a notoriously unfriendly location called Hill House: Dr. Montague, an occult scholar looking for solid evidence of a "haunting"; Theodora, his lighthearted assistant; Eleanor, a friendless, fragile young woman well acquainted with poltergeists; and Luke, the future heir of Hill House. At first, their stay seems destined to be merely a spooky encounter with inexplicable phenomena. But Hill House is gathering its powers—and soon it will choose one of them to make its own.

A Scanner Darkly Philip K. Dick
America in the near future has lost the war against drugs. Though the government tries to protect the upper class, the system is infested with undercover cops like Fred, who regularly ingest the popular Substance D as part of their work. In a bizarre twist, the drug has caused Fred to develop a split personality, of which he is not aware.

The Namesake Jhumpa Lahiri
What’s in a name? A MIT professor and his wife face this question, when hospital authorities won’t allow them to leave with their baby until it is given a name. The staff is ignorant of the cultural difference that allow for Bengali families to spend a good deal of time and deliberation before deciding their child’s name. Thus, Ashima and Ashoke are forced to enter a “pet” name for their son- Gogol.

Slumdog Millionaire Vikas Swarup (Q&A)
Jamal Malik is an 18 year-old orphan from the slums of Mumbai. With the whole nation watching, he is just one question away from winning a staggering 20 million rupees on India's "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?" But when the show breaks for the night, police arrest him on suspicion of cheating; how could a street kid know so much? Desperate to prove his innocence, Jamal tells the story of his life in the slum where he and his brother grew up, of vicious encounters with local gangs, and of Latika, the girl he loved.

A Civil Action Jonathan Harr
This is the true story of a town’s fight against deadly environmental toxins in the town of Woburn, MA. With a class action lawsuit to file, lawyers represent families impacted by the pollution. However, the case that could ruin the law firm firm.

Antwone Fisher Antwone Fisher (Finding Fish)
This autobiography tells how Fisher was born in prison to an incarcerated mother and a father who had been shot. After being placed in foster care, Fisher was treated brutally and blamed for his own misfortunes. Through these experiences, he eventually found his way into a stable job in the Navy.

Everything Is Illuminated Jonathan Safran Foer
With only a yellowing photograph in hand, a young man sets out to find the woman who might or might not have saved his grandfather from the Nazis. Accompanied by an old man haunted by memories of the war, and a dog named Sammy Davis, Jonathan is led on an amazing journey into an unexpected past.

Fever Pitch Nick Hornby
Love sports? This book tells the story of the author's unhealthy relationship with soccer. As a fan of Arsenal, a London soccer team, Hornby describes his life as it relates to the successes and failures of his favorite team.

Pride and Prejudice Jane Austen
Bride & Prejudice

The five Bennet sisters, including strong-willed Elizabeth and young Lydia, have been raised by their mother with one purpose in life: finding a husband. When a wealthy bachelor takes up residence in a nearby mansion, the Bennets are abuzz. But when Elizabeth meets up with the handsome and snobbish Mr. Darcy, a battle of the sexes ensues.

Cold Mountain Charles Frazier
A wounded Confederate soldier walks away from the horrors of the war and back home to his pre-war sweetheart, Ada. This love story connects Inman's odyssey through the devastated South with Ada's struggle to revive her father's farm.

Girl With a Pearl Earring Tracy Chevalier
When Griet becomes a maid in the household of the painter Johannes Vermeer, she thinks she knows her role: housework, laundry, and the care of his six children. What no one expects is that Griet's quiet manner, quick perceptions, and fascination with her master's paintings will draw her inexorably into his world. Their growing intimacy sparks whispers; and when Vermeer paints her wearing his wife's pearl earrings, the gossip escalates into a huge scandal.

Secret Window Steven King (Four Past Midnight)
Mort Rainey is a successful writer going through a rather unfriendly divorce from his wife of ten years. Alone and bitter in his cabin, he continues to work on his writing when a stranger named John Shooter shows up on his doorstep, claiming Rainey stole his story. Mort says he can prove the story belongs to him and not Shooter, but while Mort digs around for the magazine that published the story, people begin to die.




Darwin, His Daughter, and Human Evolution

Creation



Imperial Life in the Emerald City: Inside Iraq's Green Zone

Green Zone 




The Juliet Club
and
Letters to Juliet: Celebrating Shakespeare's Greatest Heroine, the Magical City of Verona, and the Power of Love





Winter's Bone: A Novel



It's Kind of a Funny Story



Between a Rock and a Hard Place

127 Hours




True Grit

Friday, December 17, 2010

Homework 12/17

Very well done with the Socratic Seminar today. If you all learned 1/2 of the things I got from your conversations, you would be quite wise indeed!

1) Culture Vulture Rough Draft, proof, and proposal all together for Monday

2) ROAR final post due Monday @5pm

3) Poetry Out Loud presentations on Wednesday and Thursday next week

4) Antigone test on Tuesday

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

DREAM Act Civil Disobedience

 

Culture Vulture: Andrew Bird

I love to whistle, and have the skills to whistle through my teeth or lips. That makes me an ideal fan for Andrew Bird, a violin/guitar/glockenspiel playing troubadour of song. What made his concert last Friday night so special was the venue: the opulent Tremont Temple (near Park Street). This church boasts a huge organ set-up, massive pipes filling the area behind the stage, and lots of Christmas decorations. It was an honor to photograph, then sit back and let the looped instruments rush over my ears.



Nyatiti by Andrew Bird

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Best Music of 2010

In my non-Antigone reading life, I enjoy photographing concerts and writing about music. The end of the year provides a chance to reflect back on the highlights of the past 12 months. I write for a site called melophobe (the fear of music) and we came up with a list. My votes were counted, and I got to write a few paragraphs about my favorites.

Your list?

Overall Best of:
http://www.melophobe.com/articles/top-20-best-albums-of-2010/
20. Phantogram - Eyelid Movies
19. The Black Keys - Brothers
18. Die Antwoord - $O$
17. The Walkmen - Lisbon
16. Beach House - Teen Dream
15. Yeasayer - Odd Blood
14. The Tallest Man on Earth - The Wild Hunt
13. The Roots - How I Got Over
12. Mumford and Sons - Sigh No More
11. Vampire Weekend - Contra
10. Local Natives - Gorilla Manor
09. Janelle Monae - The ArchAndroid
08. Sleigh Bells - Treats
07. Menomena - Mines
06. Big Boi - Sir Luscious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty
05. Sufjan Stevens - The Age of Adz  (Doreian Pick)
04. LCD Soundsystem - This is Happening
03. The Arcade Fire - The Suburbs
02. Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
01. The National - High Violet

Hip Hop:
http://www.melophobe.com/articles/top-10-best-hip-hop-albums-mixtapes-of-2010/
1) Kanye - MBDTF   
2)
Big Boi - Sir Lucious Left Foot  
3) The Roots - How I Got Over   
4) Yelawolf - Trunk Muzik   
5) Atmosphere - All My Friends/Blood Makes The Blade Holy   
6) Kid Cudi - Man on the Moon 
7) Shad - TSOL   
(Doreian Pick)
8) Reflection Eternal - Revolutions Per Minute    (Doreian Pick)
9) Freddie Gibbs - Str8 Killa, No Filla    
10)  Das Rascist: Sit Down, Man

Homework 12/14

1) Antigone p. 997 for Wednesday, finish the play for Friday

2) final Root Word quiz on Friday!

3) Poem memorization on Wednesday, Poetry Out Loud for next week

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Honors
Short Story Draft #8- This must be a cut down version (500-750 words) with proper formatting
-Times New Roman
-1 inch margins
-centered title, no bold or quotation marks

Saturday, December 11, 2010

Homework 12/10

1) read and notes for Antigone p. 993

2) written memorization of Poetry Out Poem for Wednesday

3) ROAR post #4 on Monday

4) last day for Culture Vulture proposal Friday, 12/18

Monday, December 6, 2010

Homework 12/6

-read and ask questions on p.967-978 in Textbook (classzone.com)

-Root Words #11--> soph on Friday

-ROAR post #3 due @5pm

-Select a Poetry Out Loud poem for Wednesday

Friday, December 3, 2010

Homework 12/3

Root Words #10 moved to Monday --> pry

ROAR post #3 on Monday

Identify 2 poems and their poet from the Poetry Out Loud website
http://poetryoutloud.org/poems/
-check out the featured poet
-search by keword
-for the ambitious student, check out this listing of poems listed by form and poetic devices!
http://poetryoutloud.org/poems/poem.glossary.html

Videos of quality recitations:
http://poetryoutloud.org/poems/video_bestpractices.html

-You must select your poem to memorize by 12/8 Wednesday
-Written memorization of the poem by 12/15 Wednesday
-Poem recitation on Wednesday 12/22  and Thursday 12/23

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Homework 12/1

Read those ROAR books!

Poetry Test/Root Word Quiz on Friday

Honors: upload and print your latest short story draft

On a side note, today is set aside to remember and react to the AIDS pandemic.