Horror Stories; The Corpse Bride

This morning let's treat ourselves to a film.

Riding on the success of A Nightmare Before Christmas, Tim Burton (director of Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands, the original Batman film, Sleepy Hollow, Ed Wood, Big Fish, Planet of the Apes, Dark Shadows: the Movie, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Sweeney Todd, etc.) The Corpse Bride (2004) takes the folk tale of the corpse bride and the Norfolk myth of the Mistletoe Bride as inspiration. The film plays around with the speculative idea of a man marrying a corpse. The story A Rose for Emily echoes these sentiments as well.

Most stories have a protagonist who, because of a decision that tests his/her moral character, finds him or herself in a sticky and complicated situation. As you watch the film, note how the story reflects or comments on other stories, films, books, you have encountered. Keep a list (in your journal) of connections you can make to other sources.

Please turn in your journal at the end of class today!

Halloween Reading: Horror stories don't need to have a lot of bloodshed. They just need to be suspenseful and well written. Read Stephen King's "The Ledge" as an example.

Extra Credit: Write a short horror story. Look here for models. Use the handout to help you plan your story. DUE: by Nov. 7.

HOMEWORK: None.

Poetry Prompts

Please read the poems in the packet of poems I gave you last class. As we read these poems out loud or as we listen to the poet reading his/her own poem, note how the performer uses voice, rate of speech (speed), and pauses to effectively communicate an idea.

• You are probably familiar with list poems from middle and elementary school classes. The examples "The Delight Song of Tsoai-Talee", "Here" and "Bad Boats" use a literary technique called ANAPHORA--the repetition of the first part of a line or phrase in a sentence. Try using anaphora in a poem draft.
• "One Art" by Elizabeth Bishop is an example of a villanelle. A villanelle is a poem that is made up of 5 tercets (3-line stanzas) followed by a quatrain (4-line stanza). The first line of a villanelle is repeated as the last line in stanzas 2, 4, and the third line in the last stanza.
• The last line of the first stanza is often repeated as the last line in the 3, 5, and last line of the poem. NOTE: you may use the last phrase of this line, as Bishop does, instead of the entire line, if you wish.
• Using capitals for the refrains and lowercase letters for the rhymes, Villanelle's have a form that looks like this:
• First Stanza: A1, b, A2 
• Second stanza: a, b, A1
• Third stanza: a, b, A2
• Fourth stanza: a, b, A1
• Fifth stanza: a, b, A1, A2
• Try writing a villanelle if you want a challenge.
• Write about how you learned to complete a simple task, but also include what you learned from the experience. Use the poems "Good Girl", "No Images", and "How I Learned to Sweep" as models.
• Write about a parent or family member. Use "What I'm Telling You" as a model.

Lab: Please choose AT LEAST 2 of these prompts and write poem drafts. You MAY decide to write more, if you'd like. Use the time given to you in the lab to complete these works.

Extra Credit: Write a short horror story. Look here for models. Use the handout to help you plan your story. DUE: by Nov. 7.

HOMEWORK: None.

Poetry Drafts

Please share your "Ars Poetica" poems with the class. Then we'll take some time to create a few new poems from the models we read in class.

• Choose a popular character from a novel, play, or fairy tale and have that character "speak" to us about something "secret". Use "Cinderella's Diary" and "Vampire Serenade" as models.
• Write about being alone. You can also create a character who is alone. Use "Alone" by Sassoon and Poe as models
• Write about a time you were mean to someone or a self realization when you were in elementary school. You can also create a character who is sorry for being mean to someone or who realizes something about life and growing up. Use "Caroline" and "In the 5th Grade Locker Room" as a model.
• Write about your best friend. Praise your best friend for the qualities he/she possesses.

When we are done with the models and prewriting, we'll go next door to type up and create our poem drafts. You should create at least 3 of the four prompt ideas as drafts.

HOMEWORK: None.

Ars Poetica Poem

This morning, please read the post from last class, check out these links to sample ars poetica poems. You may use these as models for your own original writing.

Students planning to make a pet peeve video, please join me next door for a moment.

Period 1: Ars Poetica poem draft. Pet Peeve video. Complete a draft of your ars poetica poem. Print this out at the end of period 1.

Period 2: All students, please go next door to read and listen to some poems and to conduct some poetry exercises. Please bring your journals!

HOMEWORK: None. Your journals are due Friday, Oct. 31.

Love That Dog; Intro to Poetry; Pet Peeve Video Projects

Discussion of Brighton Beach Memoirs

During period 3, please gather to read the book: Love That Dog.
Discuss with a partner what poetry is.

A poem about writing poetry is called ars poetica. Here are a few examples:

• Poetry by Marianne Moore, Video
• An Introduction to Poetry by Billy Collins, Video
• An Act of Poetry & Poetry on the Chin by Mark Slaughter
• Ars Poetica by Archibald MacLeish
• The Poems I Have Not Written by John Brehm

In the lab today, write a poem about writing or a poem about poetry. Use the models above to help you get started. If you do not complete your draft, write it at home and bring it back to class on Thursday.

For interested students, record your pet peeve speech. Film at least 2 takes of you delivering your pet peeve speech. Once you have it filmed, upload the file to your computers. We'll play around with this material a little more next class. This is extra credit--not required of all students!

HOMEWORK: Complete your Ars Poetica poem draft. 

Pet Peeve Speeches (Cont.); Brighton Beach Quiz

After our pet peeve speeches, we will take a quiz on Brighton Beach Memoirs.

HOMEWORK: None.

Pet Peeve Speech: Presentations

Please take the first period of today's class to rehearse and prepare your pet peeve speeches. After you perform, please turn in a copy of your completed speech (or your note cards).

• Transfer your speech to index cards/speech cards
• Rehearse your speech
• Give your peers some verbal feedback about their speech; how can the speaker be more original, creative, and effective when speaking?

During period 4, please go next door and volunteer to deliver your pet peeve speech. Please review and comment on 5 of today's speeches. 

Information about Brighton Beach Memoirs: Brighton Beach is located on the southern part of Brooklyn, New York. It is near Coney Island and borders the Atlantic Ocean. Many Jewish and Russian immigrants settle(d) in Brighton Beach. Neil Simon, the playwright, was born in the Bronx, is a New York City native, and is also Jewish. His childhood is presented to us in this play--part of the memoir in the title. Coming of Age stories are called bildungsroman (a German word meaning, well, "coming of age story"). You will be reading a lot of bildungsromans throughout the year. First Part Last and Montana 1948 are just two other examples of the genre. As you read the play, notice how the playwright creates a character based on himself and how this character matures throughout the play. 

HOMEWORK: Please complete your reading of Brighton Beach Memoirs by Friday, Oct. 17). You will be tested on this play Friday. You should be familiar with the plot, its characters, major conflicts or themes in the play, the term bildungsroman and know a little bit about the playwright Neil Simon (see link above). 

Pet Peeve Speech: Rehearsal; Brighton Beach Memoirs

During period 3, please prepare your pet peeve speech draft.

• Transfer your speech to index cards/speech cards
• Rehearse your speech with at least 2 other students
• Give your peers some verbal feedback about their speech; how can the speaker be more original, creative, and effective when speaking?

During period 4, please visit the library to pick up the play Brighton Beach Memoirs by Neil Simon. 

Brighton Beach is located on the southern part of Brooklyn, New York. It is near Coney Island and borders the Atlantic Ocean. Many Jewish and Russian immigrants settle(d) in Brighton Beach. Neil Simon, the playwright, was born in the Bronx, is a New York City native, and is also Jewish. His childhood is presented to us in this play--part of the memoir in the title. Coming of Age stories are called bildungsroman (a German word meaning, well, "coming of age story"). You will be reading a lot of bildungsromans throughout the year. First Part Last and Montana 1948 are just two other examples of the genre. As you read the play, notice how the playwright creates a character based on himself and how this character matures throughout the play. 

OPTION A: If you have rehearsed your speech and feel prepared to deliver it, get into small groups to read the beginning of Brighton Beach Memoirs in class today. 

OPTION B: If you have not yet rehearsed your speech or have not completed this assignment, finish your draft, rehearse, and read Brighton Beach Memoirs by yourself as homework.

HOMEWORK: Along with preparing your Pet Peeve speech for next week's presentation starting Wednesday, please read Brighton Beach Memoirs (complete the play by Friday of next week: Oct. 17). You will be tested on this play Friday. You should be familiar with the term bildungsroman and know a little bit about the playwright Neil Simon (see link above). 

The Pet Peeve Speech

Outlining is a good way to decide what your story, speech, or script will cover.

Take a look at the three outline examples of a Pet Peeve speech. Notice how the speech is essentially written and contained in the example. The authors have outlined their ideas. Using an outline can be helpful to organize your thoughts. After creating an outline, it is easy to transfer the key points and ideas from your outline into a well-written speech. Try it!

Please use the time in the lab today to complete your pet peeve speech. Your speech should be 1-3 pages in length, with an appropriate hook, thesis, and enough detail to be entertaining. Please attach your outline to your speech draft and turn in your work by the end of class today.

If you finish early, please begin preparing/rehearsing your speech.

HOMEWORK: None. If you did not complete your speech today in class (although you turned what you had written in), please complete the speech AS HOMEWORK! You should have a completed draft of your speech by the beginning of next class.

Last Speeches; Writing the Pet Peeve Speech

While information and persuasive speeches tend to be about serious issues, the Pet Peeve speech is an example of an entertainment speech. In it, the speaker discusses something that he or she doesn't like and gives reasons why he/she feels this way (and sometimes what a person can do to avoid annoying the speaker).

Here's an example of a Pet Peeve Speech:
Bookish Pet Peeve

Consider the stand up comedy monologues such as:
Bill Cosby: Dentists
Eddie Izzard: Intelligent Design
Ellen Degeneres: Flight Attendants

Brainstorm and write a pet peeve speech.

• Read the handout and samples of the pet peeve speech today in class
• Change the "specs" to: time limit: 5 minutes or less. 5 minutes is usually around 2.5 pages double spaced. It usually takes about 2 minutes per page when writing a speech text.
• Your pet peeve speech should be written. Share with your classmates an experience or situation that bothers you. It need not be anything earth-shattering. You might sound off about your Friday night curfew or chores and obligations at home. Explore your feelings about the issue.
• Complete: the purpose and expectations of this assignment
• Complete: Choosing a topic
• Complete: Preparing.
• Complete: Reading of the two sample speeches on pages 84-87.

HOMEWORK: Make sure you have completed the bullet points from this post! If you did NOT, then please complete as homework.

Delivering Speech

EQ: Delivering an original speech. Common Core Standard:

• Present information, findings, and supporting evidence clearly, concisely, and logically such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning and the organization, development, substance, and style are appropriate to purpose, audience, and task.
• Evaluate a speaker’s point of view, reasoning, and use of evidence and rhetoric, identifying any fallacious reasoning or exaggerated or distorted evidence.

Please:

• Volunteer
• Turn in your speech after you perform. I need a copy to grade you.
• Deliver your speech: keeping in mind the tips we have covered in class!
• While the performer delivers his/her speech, please evaluate the speaker on the rubric.
• Turn in your rubric at the end of class today for each speaker!

NOTE: If you did not deliver your speech today, you will deliver your speech Monday. Please make sure you are prepared to speak on Monday if you have not already gone!

HOMEWORK: Rehearse! Prepare your public speech! or, if you have delivered your speech, nothing!