Transforming the Words of Poe into Performance

Students are tapping into their inner thespian as they collaborate in groups to perform stanzas of "The Raven."  Their directive is to consider how to use their voices (volume, tone, emotion), bodies (movement, position, gestures), and instruments (small, hand-held) to capture the mood and language of Edgar Allan Poe.

On Thursday, students will listen as they read "The Tell-Tale Heart", also by Poe.  As with "The Raven", they will consider how Poe creates setting and mood within the tale, as well as how he uses language, including word choices, sentence structure, and punctuation, to convey the mood and character.  They will then brainstorm with a partner how they might shoot a movie of this cryptic tale, taking into account lighting, props, and sound effects that would create the mood.

Peppered in this week will be two short quizzes:  one on "The Raven" (written as MCAS-style multiple choice questions and based on our work with the poem), and one on our vocabulary list.

Homework:

Monday-Thursday:  use quizlet or other means (flashcards, quiz a partner) to study for vocab quiz FRIDAY.


Vocabulary List #2 quizlet

"I would define, in brief, the poetry of words as the rhythmical creation of Beauty." --Edgar Allan Poe

As we drift through the spooky season of Halloween, we will learn about the "father" of the modern detective story, Edgar Allan Poe, and read a few selections by this author of the macabre.  We will begin this week with "The Raven," perhaps Poe's most famous work, though at the time of its writing it earned him only $15.00!  Following an exploration of aspects of the poem and group performances of it, we will read "The Tell-Tale Heart", a dark glimpse into the mind of a madman.  Students will be examining, in particular, Poe's use of language to create setting and mood in each of these texts.

Meanwhile, we are also practicing using words from our second vocabulary list!

To use the organizer for the plot line poster, please make yourself a copy and then you can type on it.

Homework:

Monday-Friday:  choice book final project due Monday

Vocabulary List #2 quizlet

Choice Book Final Project Instructions

Plot line poster organizer

"Most wonderful of all are words, and how they make friends one with another." -- O. Henry

This week students will observe how O. Henry's words play with one another in the short tale, "After Twenty Years."  It is another story with a twist ending that sparks thinking about issues of friendship, loyalty, and ethics.  Following our reading and discussion, students will collaborate in groups to explore different aspects of the story such as setting and mood, foreshadowing and twists, and characterization.

Everyone should be finishing up their choice novel this week, with the final log due on Friday.  Students will then have another week to work on their choice of project (plot line poster or essay), which will be their primary homework.

If time allows, we will launch a second round of vocabulary words on Friday!

Finally, I want to give a plug for a new bookshop catering to teens that has opened in Florence--High Five Books.  The owners encourage students to drop in after school, talk books or just talk, write/create--and they even sell snacks!   It is located on N. Maple Street, just past Benjamin Moore Paints if coming from the center of town.  See the attached flyer for more info, including upcoming creative writing sessions!

Homework:

Monday-Thursday: finish reading book and last log due Friday

High Five Books flyer

Choice Book Project Instructions

Vocabulary List #2 Quizlet

"Words dazzle and deceive because they are mimed by the face. But black words on a white page are the soul laid bare." --Guy de Maupassant

This quote by de Maupassant connects to our work as developing readers and writers.  As readers, we don't have the benefit of intonation, expressions, or gestures to interpret meaning, merely the way that our minds and emotional reactions interact with text to construct meaning.  Likewise, our truest writing, even when academic, is best when it flows directly from the heart and mind.  This week, students will read this author's short story "The Necklace".  They will collaborate in groups to examine the ways in which the author develops characters, setting, conflicts, and themes, as well as how we interpret them. 

Similarly, students are interacting with their choice novels by monitoring their thoughts and reactions as they read.  They are analyzing characters, responding to situations and conflicts, making connections, and using the author's language to visualize.  They are using sticky notes to record their thoughts and reflecting on dialectical-style logs.

In addition to this literary work, students are engaging their first set of vocabulary words in a variety of ways.  Practice using the words will help embed them, and I'll look forward to seeing them pop up in future writing or when they spot one in text!

Homework:

Monday-Thursday:  read w/sticky notes;  LOG #2 due FRIDAY.

Friday:  continue to read w/sticky notes; use quizlet to review vocab words

Vocabulary List #1 quizlet