Monday, May 23

We're finishing the school year! Students in my classes have a final exam either Tuesday (Blocks One and Four), or Wednesday (Block Three). The final exam is nothing to stress over, but you should be mentally prepared.

It is:
*Worth the same as any other test
*98 multiple choice questions and one written response
*The multiple choice questions might be about:
-definitions, like "What is diction?" and you would select the correct definition from the choices
-reading comprehension, where you'll first read an excerpt and then answer a question
-grammar, where you'll look at a sentence and identify something about it


Following a brief discussion about the final exam, my classes today participated in something of a social experiment. I gave all students a role playing situation, and the student had to answer the situation individually. After that, students got together into small groups and tried to reach a group consensus on the problem. Here is the situation:


Heart Surgery Exercise

You are surgeons at a large hospital. Your committee must make a very important decision. You have received word that a donor heart is available, and from your list of possible recipients, you find that seven candidates could receive the heart. The committee must choose which patient gets the heart. Because of the importance of this decision, a simple majority vote will not work. You must come to consensus.

Patients:
1. A famous brain surgeon at the height of her career. Single, black woman. 31 years old.
2. A 12 year old musician. Japanese girl.
3. A 40 year old teacher. Hispanic male, two children.
4. A 15 year old pregnant woman. Unmarried, white, no other children.
5. A 35 year old Roman Catholic priest.
6. A 17 year old waitress. White, high school dropout. Helps support her family with her earnings.
7. A 38 year old scientist close to discovering a cure for AIDS. Chinese woman, no children, lesbian.

There is no right or wrong answer. The point of this assignment is to get students to think, and to force them to work together in groups to explain their reasoning.

"Who owns the fish?" solution!

Yesterday in class (Friday, May 20), I distributed a word puzzle to students. In the puzzle, students had to determine which of the 5 people owned the fish.

I told everyone that they could find the solution online and that I would post a link to the solution on this blog. After I posted the link, I discovered a mistake in the solution!

The solution online says that the German owns the fish. This solution is correct for the version of the puzzle online, but the version I gave you is actually a little bit different.

Here is the online version.

Take a look at the fifth line. My handout reads, "The green house owner drinks tea," but the version online reads, "The green house's owner drinks coffee." Obviously, this difference changes the outcome of the puzzle.

The correct answer to the puzzle (for the handout I gave) is that the Dane owns the fish. I'm sorry for the mistake; it must have been very frustrating for those of you who worked hard on this!

Friday, May 20

Students received their grades for the EOCT this morning. I showed students how to read their EOCT report and also how to calculate their final grades. Of course, they can't figure it out totally, since we're still in the 2nd nine weeks, but they can get a good idea. Here's the formula:
(1st Nine Weeks X .475) + (2nd Nine Weeks X .475) + (EOCT X .15) = Final Grade

Following this, we read a non-fiction article about the rapper Lil' Wayne. I think it's good to read something modern and from real life once in a while, so that we can see that our reading skills do have a real use. Students took a quiz on their comprehension of the article.

We also worked on another logic puzzle. If you are interested in seeing the puzzle, click here.
If you are interested in the puzzle's solution, click here.

Thursday, May 19

Today, we read the classic short story "The Lady, or the Tiger?" This story is infuriating to many readers because it lacks a true resolution, and the reader is left to determine the ending.

Here is a summary of the story:
A semibarbaric king creates a public arena in which to administer justice by chance. When someone is accused of a crime, the king makes them go to the arena. The man has to open one of two doors. Behind one door is a hungry tiger that will eat him. Behind the other is a beautiful lady suitable to marry.

In this story, the king is trying to punish a young man who dared to love his daughter, the princess. The princess learns which door is which, though, and she signals to her beloved. But does she send him to the lady, or the tiger?

If you were absent in class today, you should read the story on page 31 and write an ending to it. The story is also online at this link.

Turning in textbooks tomorrow. Bring yours or get a $63.55 fine.

Wednesday, May 18

Today, we read one of my very favorite short stories. It's called "The Lottery", and it's by Shirley Jackson. It's about a lottery that's held every year in a small town. It's a tradition for them.

At first, the reader might be bored by the everyday happenings of this small town, and how the author describes, in detail, how they conduct the lottery. But, if the reader pays attention, we can find small clues that something in this small town is very wrong...

After reading the story together, students took a short quiz on the story. Then, we watched a film version of it.

Full text of the story is available online: "The Lottery", by Shirley Jackson
There is also a film version online. Part 1 is here. Part 2 will probably be located in the sidebar to the right.

Students who were excused absent should read the short story and take the quiz.

Tuesday, May 17

Class began with a quiz on the short story "The Most Dangerous Game", which students were supposed to finish for homework last night.

Following this quiz, we watched the 1932 film version of "The Most Dangerous Game."
The video can be found online on YouTube or by clicking this link.

Trivia about the movie: to cut down on production costs, this movie was filmed using the same cameras, lights, and many of the same actors as the classic movie "King Kong." They shot "King Kong" in the daytime and, at night, they shot "The Most Dangerous Game."

If you missed class today, make sure to make up the quiz on "The Most Dangerous Game."

Monday, May 16

Good morning!

All this week in class, we'll be taking care of the loose ends. There are some important things that we never really covered in here, and I want to get to them before the year is out.

First up, the short story "The Most Dangerous Game." I know we've already covered fiction, but this story is culturally significant. If you are part of our culture, there are certain stories and ideas that you should be familiar with. This story, "The Most Dangerous Game", is one of them. The story is about a famous hunter who gets ship-wrecked on a faraway island. On that island, there lives a strange man who hunts the world's most dangerous animal. This story is an adventure story, and it's very good.

The full text is available online: "The Most Dangerous Game"

Tomorrow, we will have a quiz on this story, so be familiar with the important parts of it.

Friday, May 13

We spent all day in the computer lab, working on our film projects. These film projects will be due Wednesday, May 18, along with any other late or missing work. If you need instruction on how to complete the different parts of the assignment, see the blog posts for Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday of this week.

NO LATE OR MISSING WORK WILL BE ACCEPTED BEYOND THIS DATE, as I am only human and need time to grade these assignments.

Thursday, May 12

We continued working on the film project today. Students work on three parts: the Production Notes, the Screenplay, and the Outline. This project will be due on Wednesday, May 18.


SCREENPLAY

A screenplay is a written script for a movie. It is written much like a play. It has the dialogue of the characters, set notes, and stage directions. A screenplay differs from a play in that a screenplay contains information about where the camera will be looking and doing.

For example, a screenplay might be written like:

Arthur: (mad) How dare you fail me in 9th grade English?
Mr. Graci: (moving towards his desk) I didn’t fail you. You failed yourself.
(Arthur moves toward Mr. Graci, raising his clenched hands. Mr. Graci backs into the corner.)
(the camera zooms in on Arthur’s face)
Arthur: You—you change my grade right now or you’ll regret it!!

For good examples of how to write in this style, look at the screenplay for “Visit to a Small Planet” in your textbook.

Now, think of the story you are making into a movie. Think of the most exciting or interesting scene. Your assignment is to write a two page excerpt of that scene, in screenplay format.

OUTLINE

An outline of what your movie is about. Tell the basic plot. Mention the setting, characters, and conflict. Describe what the major themes of your movie will be. This should be about a page in length, minimum, and give me a good overall idea of what your movie would be like.

PRODUCTION NOTES

Think about the story you’re filming. What sort of costumes will your characters wear? What kind of sets will you need to build?

A set is a stage set-up that you can film. It makes it seem as if you are at some certain location. For example, if I was making a movie about Dracula in his castle, I might not actually go film at a castle or build a whole castle. That would be expensive. I might just construct a small set that looks like some of the rooms that would be in a castle, and use those to film.

Go into detail about the locations and sets that will be needed. Go into detail about the costumes that will be needed for the main characters. Use pictures if you can—from the Internet or magazines or, if you are a good enough artist, draw something.

For example, if I were doing this project, I might do it on “Cask of Amontillado.” Since it takes place during Mardi Gras, I guess the characters might be dressed in a festive way, for a party. Example:

“I imagine Fortunato would wear Mardi Gras beads. Instead of the normal green or yellow beads, he would have dark red beads, to symbolize the life he is taking from Montresor.


Since people wear costumes during Mardi Gras, Fortunato would wear one in my movie, too. Because he is seeking revenge on Montresor, I might choose an ironic kind of costume or mask for him. Maybe he could paint his face like a skeleton.



















I think the dark colors and the scary makeup will demonstrate Fortunato’s vengeful, twisted nature.”



See? Just like that. You do it like that, for your own story.

Wednesday, May 11

First, congratulations and thanks to the students for their performance on the EOCT. You all did your best. Thank you for your cooperation in successful testing. We'll have the results in a few weeks, and they'll be on your report cards.

Today, students are working on their "Movie Projects" (as I discussed yesterday). Students have to imagine that they are adapting one of the stories we read into a film, and write a proposal for the film that they could send to potential investors.

Of the seven required components, students will work on four today: the cover letter, the soundtrack, the poster, and the storyboard. Below are some notes on each part.

Cover Letter

HOW TO WRITE A COVER LETTER

A “cover letter” is a letter that you write and attach to other documents. It is called a “cover letter” because it will go on top of your other documents. A cover letter introduces you and explains your purpose in contacting the person. Cover letters are commonly included when applying for jobs. In this case, you are writing a cover letter to introduce yourself and explain your project (the film you are seeking to produce).

There are different formats for writing letters. I will teach you to write a letter in block style, because that is the simplest and easiest. When you write a letter in block format, you don’t indent anything. Everything goes against the left margin. If you know a different letter style, you may want to use your preferred style. Make sure it looks good, though! Also, take care to maintain a professional tone. Don’t be too casual or use slang.

There are several main parts to a letter:

the header: contains the addresses of the sender and the recipient, the date, and a greeting. For the purposes of this letter, you will be sending it to:
William McKinley
Director of New Film Acquisition
Buena Vista Entertainment
Burbank, CA 91501

the introduction: This is a brief first paragraph (usually 1-3 sentences would be fine) where you introduce who you are and the purpose of your letter

the body: Go into more detail. Describe specific reasons why your movie would be successful. Who’s your target audience? (Who would see the movie? Teens? Families?) If you have any qualifications or skills that would impress the reader, include those here. Usually a paragraph would do, but you could write more if you really need it.

the closer: A final brief paragraph that thanks the reader for their time and tells them what your next step will be (will you be calling them in the future? Should they contact you?)

valediction: This is where, at the very end, you write something like “Sincerely”, “Regards”, or “Cordially yours”, leave a couple spaces, and sign your letter.

Here is a sample cover letter. You can find more examples online.

Soundtrack

MUSIC NOTES

Music often adds to the excitement and drama of a movie. Think of the story you will be filming. What parts of the story are most emotional? What parts would benefit from a musical accompaniment? Think about what kind of music you will use to enhance your movie. In this paper, you will tell me what sort of music your movie will use.

Some people might prefer to use a score (instrumental music, usually by a symphony—think the Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter movies). Others might prefer to feature a soundtrack (songs by popular artists—think of how the Karate Kid used “Never Say Never” by Justin Bieber).

If you are using a score, tell me what scenes would be enhanced by the score. Tell me what sort of mood you are attempting to create. If you are using a soundtrack, tell me the specific artist and songs that you plan to use, what scenes they will be in, and why you chose those songs. (You might want to create a chart to do this.) In either case, you should have describe the music for a minimum of at least 3-4 different scenes in the movie, so I can get a good idea of the type of mood you’re going for.

Of course, if you’re a musician, you might write original music and record it for this project.

Poster

MOVIE POSTER

In order to attract audiences to see your movie, you must design a movie poster. Be creative. You can use any kinds of art supplies or technology you want to complete this assignment.

Even if you do not have all of the necessary materials today, I expect everyone to at least come up with a rough sketch of what their finished poster will look like.

Here are some past student ideas:
• Use a poster board and draw/paint the pictures
• Use pictures from the Internet and a graphic program to design a poster
• Use the website glogger.com to make an interactive poster and send me the address
• Take photos of friends in costumes and use for your poster

For examples of posters, look online at a site like this.

Storyboard

Once a concept or script is written for a film or animation, the next step is to make a storyboard. A storyboard visually tells the story of an animation panel by panel, kind of like a comic book.

Why make a storyboard?
Creating a storyboard will help you plan your movie out shot by shot. You can make changes to your storyboard before you start filming, instead of changing your mind later. You will also be able to talk about your film and show your storyboard to other people to get feedback on your ideas.
How do I make a storyboard?
Most commonly, storyboards are drawn in pen or pencil. If you don't like to draw you can also take photos, cut out pictures from magazines, or use a computer to make your storyboards. Keep in mind that your drawings don't have to be fancy! In fact, you want to spend just a few minutes drawing each frame. Use basic shapes, stick figures, and simple backgrounds. If you draw your storyboard frames on index cards, you can rearrange them to move parts of the the story around.
You do not need to be a great artist to do this, although artistic ability will help. You need to make a storyboard of your most exciting scene from the movie. It should be a minimum of six panels. Your panels should also show your costume choices and setting. Underneath your drawings, you should write a short description of what is happening in the scene and why you chose to draw it that way.

For more information on storyboarding, check out this site.

Tuesday, May 10

We started class by looking at a recent news story concerning Detroit. 47% of people living in Detroit are illiterate! This is the reason that we work so hard in school. Here's a link to article we looked at:

Nearly Half of Detroit's Adults are Functionally Illiterate

Students spent the bulk of today (60 minutes) finishing their EOCT's from yesterday. Students who were absent one or both days will have the opportunity to make up their tests on the designated make-up days.

Finally, we discussed an upcoming project in here: The Film Project. Students are going to imagine that they are the producers of a film version of a story we read in class. They will put together a formal proposal to send off to potential investors. This proposal will include many different documents, such as a cover letter, script excerpt, and a movie poster. Students received a handout on the project's requirements. We will be working on this in class Wednesday and Thursday, and we will go to the computer lab Friday to type or research.

Here are some more details about the project that can be found on the handout:

YOUR MOVIE PROPOSAL

Literature is subjective. This means that literature can mean different things to different people. For example, I might read a story and think a certain way about it, but you may read the same story and feel entirely differently. I think this is one of the great qualities of literature and art.

For example, think about Romeo and Juliet and all the different versions of it. We’ve:
• Read Shakespeare’s version (which wasn’t even the original version!),
• listened to an audio production
• watched two film versions (a 1968 classic version and a 1997 modernized version)
• looked at the modernized No Fear version, and
• read a comic book version of it.

There are so many different versions because different people have their own ideas about what is great about the story.

We are about to start a major project in here. For this project, you will imagine that you are a movie director and that you want to make a movie based upon something we’ve read in class. You don’t have enough money to finance your movie, though. You will create a proposal that you could send to potential investors in your movie. Try to make your proposal as professional looking and interesting as possible. You are not actually making a movie. You are just writing a proposal for a movie.

Here is a list of the things we read in class that I think would make for good movies. You can choose from this list, or pick any other story from our textbook. Try to choose something that has a strong plot that you can make an exciting movie about.

“The Secret Life of Walter Mitty”, p.63
“The Cask of Amontillado”, p.95
“My Delicate Heart Condition”, p.104
“The Scarlet Ibis”, p.154
“La Puerta”, p.166
“The Gift of the Magi”, p.173
“The Necklace”, p.190
“A Taste of Snow”, p.284
“Next!”, p.340
“Lord Randal”, p.384
“The Erl-king”, p.395
“A Marriage Proposal”, p.413
“Romeo and Juliet”, p.482
Homer’s “Odyssey”, p.599

Take some time to think of what story you could make into an interesting film.

PROJECT REQUIREMENTS

Your role: Imagine that are producing a film version of one of our stories.

Your task: You want to write a convincing proposal that will attract investors to finance your film. Your film may make artistic changes to the story if you’d like, but it must remain mostly faithful to the major themes and conflicts of the story. Remember, if your proposal is not neat and professional, people will not invest any cash money in your film.

Requirements: (checklist for your convenience)

Cover letter: A letter to the movie company that “sells” your movie. Tell me why your movie will be a success. You need to convince the company that your movie is a smart investment and explain who your target audience is. Must be in proper letter format.
Outline: An outline of what your movie is about. Tell the basic plot. Mention the setting, characters, and conflict. Describe what the major themes of your movie will be.
Production Notes: How much money will you need for this movie? Be realistic. Describe the sets that will need to be built. Describe the costumes that your characters will wear. Include pictures or draw things so your investor will get a clear idea of what you are planning.
Music Notes: What kind of music will you use in your movie? Will you use an instrumental score, or a soundtrack with popular songs? Tell me what type of music your movie will use and what scenes will be enhanced by music.
Screenplay: Write an excerpt from your original screenplay. This excerpt should be from the most important scene. It should include stage and sound directions. This excerpt should be two pages typed, minimum.
Storyboard: A storyboard is a graphic organizer that shows how your movie will play, moment by moment. Your storyboard should be at least six panels long and demonstrate your costuming, setting, and camera choices.
Movie Poster: The movie poster should be visually interesting and have the ability to attract customers to see the movie.
Neatness: Your entire proposal should be neat and professional. It should look good!

The above guidelines are minimum suggestions only. Feel free to get creative and go beyond the requirements. If this were a real life situation, you would use anything you could imagine to help you secure financing for your film. For example, maybe you want to write and record original music for the movie, film a trailer, or use a digital camera and costumes to make a realistic poster advertising your film.

You will be given class time to work on this. You will be instructed on how to create each of the above documents, and I encourage you to ask questions. Please remember, my art supplies are limited, so arrange to bring in anything you may need.

Monday, May 9

Students will take the End-of-Course test today and tomorrow. It is a two part examination and worth 15% of their final grade. If students have been working all year, they should be confident that they will pass. Now is the time to prove what you can do!

Wednesday, May 4

Our focus remains on drama. Today, we examined screenplays. We analyzed how a written play or screenplay is changed when performed or filmed. We did this by looking closely at a scene from the film "Dead Poet's Society."

First, we read a scene from the script for "Dead Poet's Society." Students played different parts. After that, students completed a worksheet based upon the script. After that, we watched the corresponding clip from the movie. Students thought about how the film differed from the written script. Students completed yet another worksheet about the filmed version.

The film clip we used in class today can be found on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQtmGcdSDAI

The remainder of our class was spent preparing for the End-of-Course-Test, which will be given on Monday and Tuesday. This exam makes up 15% of your overall grade, and you have already been taught the skills for successfully passing, so please come prepared. Also, remember the USA Test Prep website:

http://www.usatestprep.com

This website has practice tests, drills, games, and instructional videos to help you prepare. Last week, we went to the computer lab and you set up a login ID and password. Hopefully, you remember this. If you don't, email me and I will try to get you the information to let you create a new account. I will try to check my email over the long break.

Additional study resources for the EOCT:
Study Guide

Sample Test

Have a great long weekend!!

Tuesday, May 3

Continuing our look at drama, we read the play "A Marriage Proposal" by Anton Chekov (the famous Russian playwright from the late 19th century). It's a short, but very funny, play about three people in a small Russian village. It's on page 413 of the textbook.

If you were absent from today's class, read this play and complete the "Reading Check" and "For Study and Discussion" questions.

Remember that you have an essay about "Romeo and Juliet" due tomorrow and that your EOCT is coming up on Monday. To study for the EOCT, you may want to visit the USA Test Prep website. Remember the user ID and password that you created in class last week!

http://www.usatestprep.com

Monday, May 2

First, I needed to address the major news of the day: the capture of Osama bin Laden. We watched a small portion of President Obama's speech on the subject. Students interested in the entire thing can watch it at a number of different websites, but here's a link:
http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/politics/2011/05/01/sot.obama.bin.laden.dead.cnn?hpt=T2

We began class by looking at a series of paintings assembled by John Boydell. In the 18th century, he assembled a group of artists and released a folio of prints depicting Shakespeare's most famous plays. For more on John Boydell:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Boydell

We are finishing our unit on "Romeo and Juliet." Students today will take an exam on the play. Hopefully, they studied using the resources I mentioned in my last blog.

After the test, the students read a comic book version of "Romeo and Juliet." They did this so they can learn how different ideas must be adapted to suit different media. This is one of the reasons that we also watched two movie versions and listened to an audio production of the play.

Finally, students wrote an essay about which version of "Romeo and Juliet" they liked best, and why that version was superior to the other versions. This essay will be due on Wednesday.