Tuesday, June 21, 2016
Welcome new AP Lit Seniors!
I'm ridiculously excited to work with you all in AP Lit next year! Like really. In the meantime, my biggest piece of advice can be summarized in one word: READ! Our class is a lit class, so the more familiarity you have with literature (fiction like novels, plays, and poetry) the better off you are. I'd aim to read about 7-10 hours a week, which hopefully doesn't sound like a lot to you: that's really only an hour a day dedicated to reading.
I know the incoming juniors got a super cool summer reading achievement handout, and I wish I'd had the time to make something cool like that for you also. But since I didn't, I'll use this blog as the closest thing and post different genres to read, my own summer reading, and some suggestions for you. Please remember to be aware of content for any recommendations. Again, neither I nor Sprague High School is responsible for any shocking material or language that you may encounter. I may even enable comments on these posts, even though they frequently get hacked. Just don't follow any unknown links in posts.
What McElliott is currently reading:
Just Finished: O Pioneers by Willa Cather (I loved my Antonia that I had to read another of hers, which I ended up liking just as much. This one had more action.)
Current Literary Reading Novel: The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison (no great surprise to those of you who know me that a Morrison novel is first on my summer reading list. This has been a summer tradition for me for the past 4 summers.)
Current Listening Novel: The Mill on the Floss by George Elliott (pretty standard Victorian fare, but Elliott is a bit dry even for me.)
The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson (I listened to the Stormlight Archives and missed Sanderson so I'm giving the Mistborne series a try. So far, not as awesome in my opinion as the other, but pretty nice fantasy genre stuff.
My Recommendations:
The Bluest Eye falls in genre of contemporary fiction and in the sub-genre of African American fiction. If you'd like to broaden your exposure to this sub-genre, I'd recommend the following. Since they are all relatively contemporary, language and content may be an issue, so research carefully before reading if this is a concern.
Their Eyes were Watching God, Zora Neal Hurston
The Color Purple, Alice Walker
Beloved, Toni Morrison
Song of Solomon, Toni Morrison
Invisible Man, Ralph Ellison
I know there are many others in the genre that I left out, but I just posted the ones that I am most familiar with.
Friday, June 3, 2016
Recent assignments due Monday, June 6th!
The last day to turn in the four "fun" assignments for Things Fall Apart and Cat's Cradle is Monday, June 6th. Please see the previous post for information about the Things Fall Apart Fable. The other assignments are explained below.
Things Fall Apart Analysis
“Completion Points” Writing (20-30 minutes)
Choose one of the following topics to write on:
Compare Okonkwo with one other character from a novel or play that we have read in class. Analyze their similarities and differences and consider how the insights gained from this comparison to Okonkwo is important for a larger meaning of the book.
Perform a rhetorical analysis of Okika’s speech at the end of chapter 24 beginning with “You all know why we are here…” and ending with “we must bale this water now that it is ankle deep.” What rhetorical appeals and techniques does he use for his audience? What do these techniques and appeals reveal about him and about his audience?
Analyze the last paragraph of the novel (“The Commissioner went away…” considering things like point of view, selection of detail, and irony. Then consider the reader’s response to these and the role this paragraph plays as a conclusion for this text.
Cat's Cradle Review of Back of Book
Write either
1. A typical back of the book cover promo for Cat's Cradle.
2. A review of the book expressing your opinion of the text (like what you might see for a new album)
Cat's Cradle Missing Chapter
Write a "missing chapter" for Cat's Cradle that is located in between existing chapters. You will title it "15.5" for example if you want the chapter to occur between chapters 15 and 16. You may create new characters, new Bokononist terms, Calypsos, and any other absurdity in the style of Vonnegut. You cannot, however, irrevocably change the future plot by killing off characters.
Things Fall Apart Analysis
“Completion Points” Writing (20-30 minutes)
Choose one of the following topics to write on:
Compare Okonkwo with one other character from a novel or play that we have read in class. Analyze their similarities and differences and consider how the insights gained from this comparison to Okonkwo is important for a larger meaning of the book.
Perform a rhetorical analysis of Okika’s speech at the end of chapter 24 beginning with “You all know why we are here…” and ending with “we must bale this water now that it is ankle deep.” What rhetorical appeals and techniques does he use for his audience? What do these techniques and appeals reveal about him and about his audience?
Analyze the last paragraph of the novel (“The Commissioner went away…” considering things like point of view, selection of detail, and irony. Then consider the reader’s response to these and the role this paragraph plays as a conclusion for this text.
Cat's Cradle Review of Back of Book
Write either
1. A typical back of the book cover promo for Cat's Cradle.
2. A review of the book expressing your opinion of the text (like what you might see for a new album)
Cat's Cradle Missing Chapter
Write a "missing chapter" for Cat's Cradle that is located in between existing chapters. You will title it "15.5" for example if you want the chapter to occur between chapters 15 and 16. You may create new characters, new Bokononist terms, Calypsos, and any other absurdity in the style of Vonnegut. You cannot, however, irrevocably change the future plot by killing off characters.
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