The Writing Intensive

You have a great first paragraph and a rough idea for the second. Now what?

1. Let's revise the thesis statement. Your original thesis was written for a single paragraph. Now you need to broaden it in order for it to work for a full essay. Where to begin?

• Revisit the question --> what are you being asked to investigate?
• Revisit your brainstorm --> what related but not repeated ideas didn't make it into the first paragraph?
• Revisit your evidence -->what evidence were you unable to use because of space limitations? This doesn't mean find longer pieces of evidence; rather, find evidence that is relating to but not repeating your larger argument. 
• Draw a new, more expansive conclusion

2. Thesis Statement Handout

• Work through the handout with your revised thesis statement. The goal is to have an even better, more crisp, more revised, more awesome thesis statement.
• Share with partner. Questions for partner
• 1. Is my thesis answering the prompt?
• 2. Is my thesis specific but broad enough for two paragraphs?
• 3. Is my thesis proposing a HOW or WHY?
• 4. Is the language of my thesis concise, precise and arguable?

3. Revising topic sentences

• A good topic sentence supports your thesis statement, but DO NOT REPEAT your thesis statement.
• Because a solid topic sentence has the same traits as a thesis, put your topic sentences through the thesis statement handout.
• Share with a partner. Questions for partner --> 1. Are my TS's repeating my thesis? Are my TS's specific and arguable?

4. Reassessing Evidence

• Think of yourself as a lawyer. You're arguing the most important case of your life. You need evidence to prove your point. Do present four pieces of evidence that prove exactly the same idea? NOOOOO!! You want your evidence to be complementary but insightful. You want to prove different nuances or layers of the larger argument you're making.

5. Reassessing your Analysis

Macbeth In-class Writing

Question Who is to blame for Duncan's murder, Lady Macbeth or Macbeth?

How to proceed
1. Get a school laptop
2. Login via TEST mode --> username TEST --> password "test"
3. Open WORD or PAGES and write .... you have the entire block

File name
A block: Macbeth_A_name.pdf

E block: Macbeth _ E _ name.pdf

Resources
1. Use your green packet of awesome. Refer to the SPA handout.

2. Book

3. Homework/warm-up writing & goals

You may not use any other resources.

Handing the essay in

Please note a small change: you will be submitting TWO copies of your writing. ONE copy must be a pdf and ONE copy must be the Pages or Word file.

1. Save the document as a PDF.
1. Word users: FILE --> SAVE AS --> PDF (make sure to unclick the "hide extension" box)
2. Pages users: FILE --> EXPORT --> PDF (make sure to unclick the "hide extension" box)
2. Go to dropitto.me/mcollie to send paper to Mary.
3. Password: EnglishRocks
4. As time permits, start on other homework. Look good. Relax. High-5 yourself. Day dream about all of the candy you'll get on Halloween.

Macbeth 2.1-2.2

Finish up discussion and review of previous act and scenes. Then ...

Best. Soliloquy. Ever!

Who makes more magic happen? Patrick Stewart or his dear friend Ian McKellen battle for the king of Macbeth's madness.

1. How do you explain the appearance of the dagger apparition in terms of Macbeth's psychology as you know it?

Macbeth 1.4-1.7

Reading quiz!

ACT-ivity & Discussion in ONE!

Five BIG speeches hold up the action and intention of Act 1.

1. 1.3.126-141 (Macbeth)
2. 1.5.1-29 (Lady Macbeth)
3. 1.5.37-53 (Lady Macbeth)
4. 1.7.1-28 (Macbeth)
5. 1.7.35-72 (Lady Macbeth)

Content

1. What is the person saying? Do a line-by-line translation.
2. How does this speech play into the major action of the play?
3. What does this speech reveal about the speaker? Other characters?
4. What major themes are expressed?

Delivery

1. How are the lines delivered? (think about the different ideas being conveyed and make each idea clear and compartmentalized)
2. Where does the actor pause?
3. How does the actor gesture?
4. Where is the actor looking?
5. Each group will share the performance of the assigned lines, so think about how you can break up the lines seamlessly.

**One person from each group is responsible for completing this information on the shared working document. See below.

A block groups (working document)

1. Mia, Nick
2. Lizzie, Ryan, Duncan
3. Adam, Zoe
4. Nathan, Delaney, Cate
5. Caroline, Felix. Alexia

E block groups (working document)

1. Maggie, Julia, Sierra
2.  Sam, Grace, Danielle, Lane
3. Elly, Andy, Jack
4. Coco, Lauren, Joe, Emma
5. Macie, Justin, Nadav, Mackenzie

Macbeth 1.1-1.3

It begins ... As we watch a few variations on the opening scene, please consider the following:

1. How do the witches enter?
2. How do they move?
3. Are they young? old? male? female? unsure?
4. How are the witches different from each other? similar to each other?
5. How do they speak?
6. How are they dressed?

Big Question -- what tone is set from this opening scene? What themes are presented?

Roman Polanski (1971)

Hartford Stage (2013)

Orson Welles (1948)

PBS (2010)

Discussion (as time permits)

1. In what ways do the actual words of the witches in the first scene help to create the feeling of a nightmare world of evil and confusion? What particularly is the effect of the antithesis and paradox in the last lines?
2. What impressions of Macbeth's character are created, before his actual appearance in the play, by the details of the battle accounts of the sergeant and Ross in Scene 2?
3. What do Banquo's remarks about "the instruments of darkness" tell the reader about his character at this point? (1.3.23) Relate Banquo's ideas to the thoughts included in Macbeth's soliloquy. 
4. The most significant insight about Macbeth's secret thoughts comes in the soliloquy (first of seven), "This supernatural soliciting ..." (1.3.129-141).
1. What is the suggestion "whose horrid image doth unfix my hair"?
2. What moral conflict appears to exist in Macbeth's mind? Reference and explain the lines in which this conflict is expressed.
3. What conclusions about Macbeth's character can you draw from this soliloquy?
4. Why does the thought of killing Duncan so strongly affect a man (Macbeth) who has killed so many others on the battlefield?

Adam & Eve ... Macbeth & Lady Macbeth

Adam & Eve

1. Review homework questions in small groups
2. What words are associated with gender role disruption? Male related words? Female related words?
3. How do gender roles influence your daily life? How do you disrupt expectations? What are the consequences of disruption?
4. How do the power dynamics shift within the narrative? Where do we see the language of power?

--------------------------
Macbeth

Nightly expectations: Read, annotate, complete vocab (complete vocab for each act on the FIRST night of reading an act)

Terms you need to be familiar with

Details of the book --> summary, analysis, more summary, and key terms

Oedipus In-class writing

A block question: What constitutes Oedipus’ hamartia, or tragic mistake/error?

E block question: What is Jocasta's specific role in shaping Oedipus' future and behavior? Use two examples from the play to discuss the nature of her influence upon her husband and son.

How to proceed
1. Get a school laptop
2. Login via TEST mode --> username TEST --> password TEST
3. Open WORD or PAGES and write .... you have the entire block

File name:
A block: Oedipus_A_name.pdf

E block: Oedipus _ E _ name.pdf

Resources:
1. Use your green packet of awesome. Refer to the SPA handout (you can also find that structure on the right side of the blog -->).

2. Book

3. Homework/warm-up writing

You may not use any other outside resources.

Handing the essay in:

1. Save the document as a PDF.
1. Word users: FILE --> SAVE AS --> PDF (make sure to unclick the "hide extension" box)
2. Pages users: FILE --> EXPORT --> PDF (make sure to unclick the "hide extension" box)
3. Google users: FILE --> DOWNLOAD AS --> PDF
2. Go to dropitto.me/mcollie to send paper to Mary.
3. Password: EnglishRocks
4. As time permits, start on other homework. Look good. Relax. High-5 yourself. Day dream about fun things you'll do this weekend.

Vocab quiz & SPA prep

1. Take vocab quiz!
2. Review and work on green packet of awesomeness!!!
3. Review homework expectations.

Oedipus 59-end

Discussion
1. Why does the Herdsman want to protect the truth? Is it for selfish or selfless reasons? Look closely at the language and tone created in his short lines.
2.  Look at the chorus' speech on p. 64-65 (1188-1223). Does the chorus show pity or sympathy or empathy for Oedipus? Why or why not? What does this tell us about how we the audience are supposed to think about him.
3. Review second messenger speech (1238-1297)
4. Looking at the last ten pages of the text (specifically Oedipus' lines), answer the following questions: how does Oedipus show remorse for his actions? How does he take ownership of his exile?
5. What is the closing tone of the play? What are we to take away?

Oedipus: 48-59

1. Present tableaus

2. Today we're doing to practice some fast analytical thinking and writing. We're going to write, discuss, write, discuss, write, discuss and be done. Best day of your life. Right here!

Each writing/discussion unit will be divided into 25 minutes. You will have 12 minutes to write alone and 8 minutes to discuss as a large group.

Topic 1: pg. 48, lines 884-896
What complex moral issue is the chorus struggling with and how does it relate to the major action of the play?

Topic 2. pgs. 56-57, lines 1056-1073
Is Jocasta selfish? Why or why not?

Topic 3. pg. 58, lines 1077-1086
Does Oedipus demonstrate hubris or ignorance? Support your with the text.