Thursday, April 27

Today, our focus was on two things - reading 2.5 and 2.6 from Romeo and Juliet, and reading Harold Bloom's essay about the play in his book Shakespeare: The Invention of the Human. Please finish Act II for homework if you were absent and read 20 minutes twice over the three day weekend.

Tuesday, April 25

Today, our focus was on Act II of Romeo and Juliet. If you were absent today, please read 2.1 and 2.2. For those of you that were in class today, please finish 2.2. It's critical you read and annotate those scenes for tomorrow's class.

Monday, April 24

Today, we focused on Romeo and Juliet and various characters' conceptualizations of love and marriage. Tomorrow we will get through as much of Act II as possible. Please read for 20 minutes tonight.

Friday, April 21

Happy Earth Day tomorrow, everyone!

Today we read and watched the equivalent of Act I from Romeo and Juliet. If you were absent, read all of Act I. We didn't get around to the sonnets - those will be due on Monday. Read for 20 minutes as well.

Thursday, April 20

Today our focus was on 1.1 and 1.2 (Act 1, scenes 1 and 2) from Romeo and Juliet. If you were absent, read these scenes. If you don't have your book, find a copy of the play online. In addition, finish your sonnet, which is due Friday, and read for 20 minutes.

Wednesday, April 19

Today, our focus was on Shakespearean insults, the start of the Romeo and Juliet, and an overview of the main characters and the basic plot points of the play. Read for 20 minutes tonight and keep writing your sonnets, which are due on Friday.

Tuesday, April 18

Today we continued to focus on the sonnet and also had some great This I Believe presentations, as well as some informative presentations about Elizabethan England. Periods 1 and 4 need to find a sonnet by Shakespeare online and print it and bring it to class on Tuesday. All periods need to write their own sonnet. This poem needs to adhere to the conventions we covered in class (and which you can find on our Canvas page), and I suggest you write about a noun - a person, place, thing, or idea. This poem needs to be typed and is due on Friday. Read for 20 minutes tonight. We will begin reading Romeo and Juliet on Wednesday.

Monday, April 17

Today our focus was on the sonnet. First, we read Chapter 4 from How to Read Literature Like a Professor and took notes on the five most important ideas in that chapter. You can find a free PDF of that here: http://ziveuniverzity.sk/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Foster-How-to-Read-Literature-Like-a-Professor.pdf. You should read this chapter if you were absent. Then go to Canvas, and under Modules, go to Poetry. Under Poetry, there is a content page about the Sonnet. Read it and take notes. There will be 4-8 questions on your trimester final about the sonnet, and your homework is on this content page as well. There are two things there, one due for Tuesday, the other due to Wednesday. Understanding the sonnet is essential to being able to read Romeo and Juliet, which we will begin this week. Read for 20 minutes as homework as well.

Friday, April 14

Today periods 1 and 2 took the SRI. Periods 4 and 5 focused on understanding Shakespeare's language. Periods 4 and 5 should do the following:

Read the section titled “Shakespeare’s Life” (pages xxvii-xxxvi).

Take notes on five things about Shakespeare that you feel are important.

Write a one paragraph summary about Shakespeare’s life that includes at least two pieces of textual evidence. Your paragraph should be at least six sentences long.

Everyone needs to read for 20 minutes.

Thursday, April 13

Today we focused on learning more about Shakespeare's life and language. Period 1 and 2 need to do the following:

Read the section titled “Reading Shakespeare’s Language” (including the subsections “Shakespeare’s Words”, “Shakespeare’s Sentences”, “Shakespearean Wordplay”, and “Implied Stage Action”).

Take notes on five things about Shakespeare’s language that you feel are important.

Write a one paragraph summary about Shakespeare’s language that includes at least two pieces of textual evidence. Your paragraph should be at least six sentences long.

Periods 4 and 5 need to do the following:

Read the section titled “Shakespeare’s Life” (pages xxvii-xxxvi).

Take notes on five things about Shakespeare that you feel are important.

Write a one paragraph summary about Shakespeare’s life that includes at least two pieces of textual evidence. Your paragraph should be at least six sentences long.

Everyone needs to read for 20 minutes.

Wednesday, April 12

Today, periods 1 and 2 took some time to complete their presentations and began learning about Shakespeare and his life; periods 4 and 5 took the SRI. Everyone should read for 20 minutes tonight.

Tuesday, April 11

Today, we took the information you included in your essays about Elizabethan England and began transforming it into a short presentation you and your partner will use to teach the class about your topic. You have a short description of the assignment on a slip of paper. The presentation is due next week and we will begin selecting dates to present then.

Your essay on Elizabethan England is due tomorrow, on paper, at the start of class. Your homework is to read for 20 minutes tonight.

Monday, April 10

Today our primary focus was on completing your essays about Elizabethan England. These are due on paper to me on Wednesday. You also should continue working on your This I Believe essay; two copies are due to me the day you do your presentation.

Read for 20 minutes tonight.