A Great Blog

2011-09-14T15:37:00.000-07:00

Wednesday, September 14

We held a "Socratic Seminar" using as our text Hamlet's first soliloquy, "O, that this too, too sold flesh would melt," with students seated in two concentric circles. Students in the inner circle -- using the notes they had added to their copies of the soliloquy == discussed the speech while the outer circle observed and filled out feedback forms, after which the outer circle commented orally on how the inner circle had done. Then the students in the two circles swapped places, and the procedure was repeated.

Students turned in their annotated texts along with their feedback forms.

2011-09-13T15:25:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, September 13

We watched part of Hamlet, Act I, scene i, in the classic 1948 Olivier film and all of the scene in the most recent film version with David Tennant as Hamlet and Patrick Stewart as Claudius, and briefly discussed differences between them. We looked at ways in which any Hamlet -- even a scholarly edition of the text, let alone a stage or film production is of necessity an interpretation and a modernization.

Students were given a handout of Hamlet's first soliloquy ("O, that this too, too sullied/soid/sallied flesh would melt"), and asked to annotate the text in preparation for a "Socratic seminar" to be held in class Wednesday.

HW due Wednesday:
Please write numerous notes on the handout, explaining what it means and what you think precisely has Hamlet so upset.

2011-09-12T15:01:00.000-07:00

Monday, September 12

Students took a quizlet over Act I, sene ii of Hamlet and the handout on Shakespeare's Language. We graded it together, going over in detail a passage analyzed syntactically in the handout which displaying inverted word order and lengthy interruptions.

Then we reviewed the first scene of the play (read in class Friday) and began reading together the assigned second scene.

HW due Tuesday:
Reread carefully Act I, scene ii.

2011-09-09T13:46:00.000-07:00

Friday, September 9

Students received a handout discussing Shakespeare's language.

We listened to two different recordings of the first scene of Hamlet, then began to compare the two. How do they differ? Which do you suppose is more "Shakespearian"?

HW due Monday:
Review Act I, scene 1.
Read Act I, scene 2.
Read carefully the four-page handout.
Prepare to be quizzed over the material on Monday.

2011-09-08T13:00:00.000-07:00

Thursday, September 8

Dr. P reviewed with students the unit objective of studying Hamlet as literature, theater, and film, and spoke briefly of the different resources each medium has to work with, from printed words to cinematic images and sound.

We began at the cinematic end, by watching the first few minutes of a film of the play without words, or at least without words that anyone in the class, teacher included, could understand. The film was the famous 1965 Russian Hamlet with a musical score by Dmitri Shostakovich. After watching the beginning (which is not actually the beginning of the play as written) students discussed what they had gleaned about what has happened before the play opens, what is happening at the moment, and how the mood of the film's opening might best be described.

HW due Friday:
Email Dr. P your FEW assignment (which was turned in Tuesday).

2011-09-07T14:53:00.000-07:00

Wednesday, September 7

Students took a brief (five question) quiz over yesterday's handout on the history of the English language. We graded the quizzes together, using the occasion to review and amplify what students knew about the subject.

Afterwards we pursued the subject further by stepping back from English to survey (from a great height) the history of the entire Indo-European language family, by means of the chart inside the back cover of our classroom dictionary (American Heritage College Dictionary, 4th ed.).

2011-09-06T14:31:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, September 6

Students turned in their FEW (Frequently Encountered Words) homework, after which we
(1) examined a few older English forms still current in Shakespeare's day, such as the second person singular informal (thou, thy, thine, thee);
(2) discussed more broadly the unending process of change in the English language (as in all other languages) and the role that plays in producing “contested usages.”

Dr. P passed out a handout containing “A Brief History of Old English.”

HW due Wednesday:

Read the handout and prepare for a brief quiz thereover.

2011-09-02T13:02:00.000-07:00

Friday, September 2
We took a step back from our discussion of the antique aspects of Shakespeare's English to get a quick overview of the history of the English language as a whole, looking at parallel translations of the same text (Matthew 6:9) from four periods: Old English, Middle English (Wycliffe), Early Modern English (King James Version),and Late Modern English.

HW due Tuesday:
Complete the FEW exercise by finding and printing out lines from Hamlet using all of your 25 assigned words which appear in the play. (See Documents page of the class website, room301.org.)

2011-09-01T15:09:00.000-07:00

Thursday, September 1

Students checked out copies of Hamlet.

We went over an assignment to be done online but resulting in a printed document dealing with Shakespearean vocabulary, specifically 100 of the most "Frequently Encountered Words" (FEW) in Shakespeare's works.

We then began to discuss the influence of Shakespeare's plays, along with the King James Version of the Bible (contemorary with Shakespeare), in keeping somewhat alive older usages in English.

HW due Tuesday, September 6:
Complete the FEW exercise by finding and printing out lines from Hamlet using all of your 25 assigned words which appear in the play. (See Documents page of the class website, room301.org.)

2011-08-31T15:08:00.000-07:00

Wednesday, August 31

Students took a 15-question "open book" quiz over the course syllabus, and we graded it in class, using that means to review the procedures and expectations for the class.

Students turned in signed forms from parents & guardians.

2011-08-30T15:04:00.001-07:00

Tuesday, August 30

Students received copies of the syllabus and a letter addressed to parents & guardians. Students need to read both documents and show them both to their folks. The letter (or the bottom section) needs to be signed & returned by the end of the week. The syllabus will be the subject of a quiz on Wednesday.

We previewed the course contents and requirements and we assessed students' existing knowledge (not much) of the first text in the course, Shakespeare's Hamlet, the single most famous work of literature in English, next to the Bible.

HW due Wednesday:
Read the syllabus carefully; quiz to begin the class.
Signed forms from parents/guardians need to be returned by Friday.

2011-08-29T19:38:00.000-07:00

2011-12

2011-06-09T15:02:00.000-07:00

Thursday, June 8

Final exam.

Goodbye and Good Luck, Seniors!

2011-06-08T14:38:00.000-07:00

Wednesday, June 8

We finished watching Dr. Strangelove. then spoke about the final examination tomorrow. Students will be shown short clips from three or four films and will be required to analyze how a certain specified element (or elements) of filmcraft (camera angle and movement, lighting, mise en scene, film editing, sound editing and musical score) is used in the clip. Students should review the original "Classical Hollywood Cinema: Style" packet to be sure they understand what is meant by each of these elements.

Final examination tomorrow
Review the packet.

2011-06-07T12:44:00.001-07:00

Tuesday, June 7

We continued watching Dr. Strangelove.

Final examination will take place on Thursday.
Senior checkout forms will be signed at that time.

2011-06-06T14:52:00.000-07:00

Monday, June 6

We reviewed remaining requirements in the class, notably the final examination on Thursday, which will require students to analyze film clips for theme and technique. Mr. P announced that he will accept senior checkout forms at the beginning of the class Thursday and will return them at the end of the exam.

Nest we discussed Bonnie and Clyde rather briefly.

Finally, we began watching Dr. Strangelove. Mr. Potratz found it highly amusing.

Final examination on Thursday.

2011-06-03T12:28:00.000-07:00

Friday, June 3

We watched clips of three candidates for the final film of the course.
Dr. Strangelove won out by the barest of margins over Rabbitproof Fence.

Final examination will be administered next Thursday, June 9.
I will sign senior check-out forms at that time.

2011-06-02T14:40:00.000-07:00

Thursday, June 2

We finished Bonnie and Clyde, then considered possible candidates for a final film in the course.
After eliminating several films because most of the class hasd akready seen them, we were left with following films to choose among Friday:

The African Queen (1951)
Dr. Strangelove (1964)
The King of Hearts (1966)
Groundhog Day (1993)
Rabbitproof Fence (2002)
　

2011-06-01T13:09:00.000-07:00

Wednesday, June 1

We continued our viewing of Bonnie and Clyde.

2011-05-31T14:23:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, May 31

Students took a 40-pt. quiz over film noir.

We then introduced Bonnie and Clyde by looking at photographs of the actual people (Bonnie Parker and Clyde Parker) whom the film portrays and by listening to Woody Guthrie singing "pretty Boy Floyd," a Robin Hood treatment of another famous depression era bank robber.

We then watched the first few minutes of Bonnie and Clyde.

2011-05-27T17:04:00.000-07:00

Friday, May 27

Students took out their checklist of "Characteristics of Film Noir," and we reviewed Murder, My Sweet in terms of whether and how the film correponds to those various supposed hallmarks of the style/genre.

HW due Tuesday:
Quiz over film noir -- to cover the documentary film, Murder, My Sweet, and the three handouts.

2011-05-26T13:23:00.000-07:00

Thursday, May 26
No class -- Senior Tea.

2011-05-25T14:19:00.000-07:00

Wednesday, May 25

Students turned in their outside viewing essays.

They received two new handouts on film noir

We watched the second half of Murder, My Sweet.

HW due Friday:
Read the two new handouts and finish filling out the checklist which we began working on on Tuesday ("Noir Characteristics").

2011-05-24T13:53:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, May 24

After reminding students of the expectations for the outside viewing essay due Wednesday, Mr. P distributed a handout listing several characteristics of what is known as "film noir," and students began watching Murder, My Sweet, noting on the handout any correspondences between the film and the handout.

HW due Wednesday:
Single-element analysis of your outside viewing film.

2011-05-23T14:21:00.000-07:00

Monday, May 23

The seven of us (incl. Mr. P) learned about the Hays Code of 1930 and watched some pre-Code clips of over-the-top Busby Berkeley production numbers from early 1930's musicals.

HW due Wednesday:
Outside Viewing essay.