Please get together for a quick 10-minute rehearsal of your collaborative poem. You will have your final rehearsal and performance next class. Afterwards, please go to the library and pick up the play collection Zoo Story and other plays by Edward Albee. Upon returning, please check out a bit of information about Albee here.
Gather in groups of 2 or 3 (only). Together assign parts and read "The Zoo Story." If you finish early, please continue to prepare your collaborative poems or study for Ms. Gamzon's grammar final.
Homework: (due Monday, Jan. 25) Please complete the other plays in the collection. Questions to follow.
Begin writing your own script. We will do more of this Monday, but you can get started. These drafts will likely be turned for the Geva Playwriting Contest. Your script should be no more than 10 pages and may not contain more than 8 characters. It should be, like the Zoo Story, set in one place.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Agenda 1/14
Print out your collaborative poem quickly in the next 5 minutes.
Let's go to the ensemble theatre to practice and prepare your collaborative work.
Let's go to the ensemble theatre to practice and prepare your collaborative work.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Agenda 1/12
Today, please complete your collaborative poem draft by the end of period 3. If you have completed the draft, print out enough copies for your group and begin to put it on its feet. Decide where to move, who says what line or stanza, consider what you are doing with your body, include appropriate gestures that help communicate your central idea, etc.
During 4th period, please prepare for your oral interpretation performances. We will move to room a240.
During 4th period, please prepare for your oral interpretation performances. We will move to room a240.
Friday, January 8, 2010
Collaborative Poem & Peformance
Please work on your collaborative poems. Try to write some lines and come up with a 1st draft with your collaborative group. Next week we will be visiting the theatres and practicing your collaboration, so having a "script" from which to work is essential.
4th period please go to room 240 to perform our oral interpretations.
ORAL INTERPRETATION is the process by which a speaker performs literature aloud for an audience.
Some advice:
1. In order to be effective performing Oral Interpretation you should UNDERSTAND your selected piece of literature.
2. Know your speaker - writers write with a TONE and VOICE. You need to bring these qualities to your own speech and vocal quality when performing. The better you know WHO is speaking the poem, the easier it is to convey meaning.
3. Know who your fictional speaker is speaking to - the better you know the occasion and reason your speaker is speaking and to whom your speaker is speaking to, the easier it is to convey to a real audience.
4. Know the setting (or the WHERE) your speaker is when speaking.
4th period please go to room 240 to perform our oral interpretations.
ORAL INTERPRETATION is the process by which a speaker performs literature aloud for an audience.
Some advice:
1. In order to be effective performing Oral Interpretation you should UNDERSTAND your selected piece of literature.
2. Know your speaker - writers write with a TONE and VOICE. You need to bring these qualities to your own speech and vocal quality when performing. The better you know WHO is speaking the poem, the easier it is to convey meaning.
3. Know who your fictional speaker is speaking to - the better you know the occasion and reason your speaker is speaking and to whom your speaker is speaking to, the easier it is to convey to a real audience.
4. Know the setting (or the WHERE) your speaker is when speaking.
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Rehearsal, Oral Interpretation & Collaboration
Please take about 20 minutes with your previously chosen groups to work on writing your collaborative poem. You should try to move toward a completed draft by the end of Friday's class.
For the next 20 minutes, please stop working on your poem, but you can stay in your collaborative groups. Taking turns, rehearse your oral interpretation (the poem you chose from your poetry collection M-Z).
During 4th period, we will retire to room a240 and begin delivering our poems.
For the next 20 minutes, please stop working on your poem, but you can stay in your collaborative groups. Taking turns, rehearse your oral interpretation (the poem you chose from your poetry collection M-Z).
During 4th period, we will retire to room a240 and begin delivering our poems.
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Poetry Preparation & Collaboration
I hope you all had a restful vacation. We left off, you might remember, checking out (and reading) a collection of poems from authors (last names M-Z). You will need your book today to complete part one of the following assignment.
Part 1:
Choose your favorite poem from the collection or chapbook you read. Prepare this poem to perform (deliver) in front of the class. Your poem does not have to be memorized, but you will be graded on how long you can sustain your eye contact, how well you are prepared, and how effective your delivery of the poem is. I suggest using notecards (write the lines on the card) and use the cards as you did your speech. Give important lines or phrases their own card (or memorize parts of the poem--particularly the opening and closing lines).
1. When speaking someone else's words, you will need to know what the author means. Look up and define for yourself any words you are unsure of in meaning.
2. Consider who the speaker of the poem may be. Is this person a housewife, or a mechanic, or a brother, or son, or young or old? Why might this persona be speaking? (is there a special reason?) To whom may this character be speaking to?
3. If the poet repeats lines or phrases, consider why the author is doing this?
4. What images stand out strongly or vividly to you? It is often a good thing to slow down in descriptive moments of a poem.
5. Where does the climax or most important line in the poem occur? It is often helpful to raise the tension of the poem using our voice.
6. If a poet lists a great number of things (like in slam poetry) it is often a good idea to increase the pace of this section.
7. Consider gestures or posture. Is your character happy, sad, bored, eager, excited, fearful, or any other emotion? How will you best convey this to your audience through your body, facial expressions, or voice?
8. Is your character performing an action? If so, what gestures could you include in your performance that might help aid understanding?
Part II: The Collaborative Poem
Watch these video performances:
Black and White.
Spit.
Naomi Shihab Nye & Robert Bly perform Rumi.
How to Impeach the Worst President
Hold My Tongue
1. Get into groups of 2, 3, or 4. No one should work alone for this project.
2. After you have chosen your groups, gather together and decide on a topic or theme for your poem. As most collaborative slam poetry, it might be easiest to agree on a political or social problem that you are all concerned with. To gather ideas, each person in the group should suggest a topic, write down the topic, then go around the circle adding other options. After you have gone around a few times (and everyone has at least contributed two ideas) look at the list and agree on a topic.
Go no further than this step. Your group should FIRST agree with the topic. When you have decided, go on to step #3.
3. The rules:
A. All group members must speak.
B. All group members must contribute to the poem in some significant way.
C. Help each other.
D. Include gestures and "blocking" for your performance.
You may find it helpful to first come up with a response line or choral line: a repeated line that all group members recite together or at different times to cue your group members as to where you are in the poem. Write the draft of the poem together first. Once you have a draft, print out enough copies for each of your members, then gather to practice and block the performance.
This project is not yet due. You should pick your groups, decide on a topic, and begin your writing of the first draft by the end of class.
Homework: Please prepare your chosen poem from your poetry collection (part 1) for next class.
Part 1:
Choose your favorite poem from the collection or chapbook you read. Prepare this poem to perform (deliver) in front of the class. Your poem does not have to be memorized, but you will be graded on how long you can sustain your eye contact, how well you are prepared, and how effective your delivery of the poem is. I suggest using notecards (write the lines on the card) and use the cards as you did your speech. Give important lines or phrases their own card (or memorize parts of the poem--particularly the opening and closing lines).
1. When speaking someone else's words, you will need to know what the author means. Look up and define for yourself any words you are unsure of in meaning.
2. Consider who the speaker of the poem may be. Is this person a housewife, or a mechanic, or a brother, or son, or young or old? Why might this persona be speaking? (is there a special reason?) To whom may this character be speaking to?
3. If the poet repeats lines or phrases, consider why the author is doing this?
4. What images stand out strongly or vividly to you? It is often a good thing to slow down in descriptive moments of a poem.
5. Where does the climax or most important line in the poem occur? It is often helpful to raise the tension of the poem using our voice.
6. If a poet lists a great number of things (like in slam poetry) it is often a good idea to increase the pace of this section.
7. Consider gestures or posture. Is your character happy, sad, bored, eager, excited, fearful, or any other emotion? How will you best convey this to your audience through your body, facial expressions, or voice?
8. Is your character performing an action? If so, what gestures could you include in your performance that might help aid understanding?
Part II: The Collaborative Poem
Watch these video performances:
Black and White.
Spit.
Naomi Shihab Nye & Robert Bly perform Rumi.
How to Impeach the Worst President
Hold My Tongue
1. Get into groups of 2, 3, or 4. No one should work alone for this project.
2. After you have chosen your groups, gather together and decide on a topic or theme for your poem. As most collaborative slam poetry, it might be easiest to agree on a political or social problem that you are all concerned with. To gather ideas, each person in the group should suggest a topic, write down the topic, then go around the circle adding other options. After you have gone around a few times (and everyone has at least contributed two ideas) look at the list and agree on a topic.
Go no further than this step. Your group should FIRST agree with the topic. When you have decided, go on to step #3.
3. The rules:
A. All group members must speak.
B. All group members must contribute to the poem in some significant way.
C. Help each other.
D. Include gestures and "blocking" for your performance.
You may find it helpful to first come up with a response line or choral line: a repeated line that all group members recite together or at different times to cue your group members as to where you are in the poem. Write the draft of the poem together first. Once you have a draft, print out enough copies for each of your members, then gather to practice and block the performance.
This project is not yet due. You should pick your groups, decide on a topic, and begin your writing of the first draft by the end of class.
Homework: Please prepare your chosen poem from your poetry collection (part 1) for next class.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Poetry Collection Project #3
Please get your last book from the library with a poet whose last name begins with M-Z. During the holiday break, please complete your reading of this collection. Choose 1 poem that you like the most and consider performing this out loud in class.
Have a happy holiday! Get some rest and (when appropriate) try to find time to write!
The second half of our class we will move next door to perform some more slam poetry.
Have a happy holiday! Get some rest and (when appropriate) try to find time to write!
The second half of our class we will move next door to perform some more slam poetry.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Slam! Today...
Complete and prepare your slam poem (the one you did for homework). During the second period of this class we will saunter over to the other room to hear some of these out loud. In preparation, read your poem out loud to yourself. Make decisions about rate of speech, rhythm, and vocal quality (like volume or where you stress one word over another). As always, make decisions about your performance BEFORE you begin to speak out loud.
Homework: Please complete your poetry book. Bring this book with you next class.
Homework: Please complete your poetry book. Bring this book with you next class.
Friday, December 11, 2009
Poetry Activities #2
Using the text of the poet you chose for your second poetry chapbook, do the following JOURNAL/brainstorming exercises with your poet's book:
1. Jot down the best 3 titles of the poems in the collection
2. Read 3-5 poems and list what you think the poet's theme or main idea is in the poem.
3. Spend about 5-20 minutes reading (silently). When an idea pops into your mind stop and write a poem using that idea. If more time remains for this portion of the class, when you complete a poem, go back to reading.
POET AS AGENT FOR SOCIAL CHANGE
"Men die everyday for what they miss in poetry..." William Carlos Williams
1. The poet is the voice of reason
2. The poet is the spokesperson for the downtrodden, outsider, or oppressed
3. The poet is the eye of the world
4. The poet brings order to chaos
HOMEWORK: Complete your chosen text by next class. Write a slam poem (a poem meant to be performed/read out loud).
1. Jot down the best 3 titles of the poems in the collection
2. Read 3-5 poems and list what you think the poet's theme or main idea is in the poem.
3. Spend about 5-20 minutes reading (silently). When an idea pops into your mind stop and write a poem using that idea. If more time remains for this portion of the class, when you complete a poem, go back to reading.
POET AS AGENT FOR SOCIAL CHANGE
"Men die everyday for what they miss in poetry..." William Carlos Williams
1. The poet is the voice of reason
2. The poet is the spokesperson for the downtrodden, outsider, or oppressed
3. The poet is the eye of the world
4. The poet brings order to chaos
HOMEWORK: Complete your chosen text by next class. Write a slam poem (a poem meant to be performed/read out loud).
Monday, December 7, 2009
Poetry
Please complete your elemental poem by the end of 3rd period today.
If you finish, please move on to this next exercise:
Poetry: Steal a line...
Take your poetry book and steal a line from any of the poems in the chapbook. You may place this line anywhere in your poem. You may also change the line slightly to keep tense and POV consistent. Somewhere in your title or as an epigram, indicate and name the poet who inspired your poem.
4th period we will return to the library. We will be looking for poets whose names end with E - .
If you finish, please move on to this next exercise:
Poetry: Steal a line...
Take your poetry book and steal a line from any of the poems in the chapbook. You may place this line anywhere in your poem. You may also change the line slightly to keep tense and POV consistent. Somewhere in your title or as an epigram, indicate and name the poet who inspired your poem.
4th period we will return to the library. We will be looking for poets whose names end with E - .
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Poetry Activities
Today spend 10 minutes reading the poetry book you selected. As you read, in your journal, jot down 10 words (1 word per minute) from the poems you are reading. Choose the word(s) that you find the most intriguing or interesting. Try to avoid simple abstract or vague words or common ones. Go for the interesting ones.
When the bell chimes, spend two minutes jotting down the titles of the poems you have been reading. We'll use this later.
Get into groups of two. Alternatively, select a poem from your book and read this to your partner. The partner should listen. After reading discuss what you remember or imagined during the reading. Take only a minute or two to discuss this with the reader. Then the listener/describer will read a poem from his/her book and repeat the process. Do this 3 times. When the bell chimes. Stop and move on to the next portion of our exercise.
Choose a new poem from your collection. Then you and your partner follow these steps:
1. Read the poem silently once.
2. Alternate readers so that your partner reads the same poem a second and third time, this time out loud.
3. Take a moment to discuss the poem with your partner.
4. List and define any words that you or your partner may not know or only “think” you know. Write these words and their definition in your own journals. Use the internet dictionary to help you, or a physical dictionary.
5. Separately, list the words in the poem that alone stress the importance of the poem’s meaning.
6. Compare your list with your partner’s list. Which words are the same? Which are different? Write both your lists in your own journals.
7. Separately, which single word summarizes the poem for you?
8. Compare your word with your partner’s word. Write both your words in your own journals.
9. Separately, Examine the poem and describe an image that encompasses the entire poem – describe this image. (in other words, if this poem were a photograph, what would the photograph be of?)
Last, but not least, with the remaining class time, finish your elemental poem draft (hand in to the dropbox when completed). If you finish early, look over your word lists in your journal and write a poem inspired by some of the ideas and poems and words you read in class.
When the bell chimes, spend two minutes jotting down the titles of the poems you have been reading. We'll use this later.
Get into groups of two. Alternatively, select a poem from your book and read this to your partner. The partner should listen. After reading discuss what you remember or imagined during the reading. Take only a minute or two to discuss this with the reader. Then the listener/describer will read a poem from his/her book and repeat the process. Do this 3 times. When the bell chimes. Stop and move on to the next portion of our exercise.
Choose a new poem from your collection. Then you and your partner follow these steps:
1. Read the poem silently once.
2. Alternate readers so that your partner reads the same poem a second and third time, this time out loud.
3. Take a moment to discuss the poem with your partner.
4. List and define any words that you or your partner may not know or only “think” you know. Write these words and their definition in your own journals. Use the internet dictionary to help you, or a physical dictionary.
5. Separately, list the words in the poem that alone stress the importance of the poem’s meaning.
6. Compare your list with your partner’s list. Which words are the same? Which are different? Write both your lists in your own journals.
7. Separately, which single word summarizes the poem for you?
8. Compare your word with your partner’s word. Write both your words in your own journals.
9. Separately, Examine the poem and describe an image that encompasses the entire poem – describe this image. (in other words, if this poem were a photograph, what would the photograph be of?)
Last, but not least, with the remaining class time, finish your elemental poem draft (hand in to the dropbox when completed). If you finish early, look over your word lists in your journal and write a poem inspired by some of the ideas and poems and words you read in class.
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