Monday - FINALS

 Please turn in your Personal Narratives - NOW!

British Literature: Study Guide for FINAL

Note: Most importantly you should look back through your notes and returned quizzes, tests and assignments and read over them.  

TEXTS that you will need to know (and I mean know beyond comprehension), be able to relate to themes, to other texts with similar themes (compare and contrast), be able to explain symbols, make arguments about actions of characters, etc.

“The Death of Conchobhar”

“Branwen, Daughter of Llyr”

“The Seafarer”, “The Wanderer”

Beowulf

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

The Canterbury Tales - “The Wife of Bath Tale”, “The Pardoner’s Tale” and your tale

Le Morte D’Arthur

THEMES: The Corruption of Power, Christianity vs. Paganism, Man Alone in a Hostile World, The Roles of Woman, The Role of Christianity, The Roles of Kings and Warriors, Loyalty, Pride, The Role of Magic, Fate, Faith, Bloody-Money as a form of Punishment,  Exile or Banishment, Good vs. Evil, Hospitality, The Transitory Nature of Life, Revenge

Some Definitions you’ll need to remember: Wergild, wyrd, kenning, alliteration, epic hero, epic poem, epic boast, romantic literature, chivalry

List of Characters that you will need to know: Conchobhar, Cet, Meis-Geghra, Finghin, Brandigiefran, Branwen, Maholwch, Manawydan, Efnisien, Nisien, Beowulf, Grendal, Hygelac, Hrothgar, Shield Sheafson, Wulfgar, Wiglaf, Unferth, Finn, Siegmund, Weltheow, Morgan Le Fay, Sir Gawain, King Arthur, The Green Knight, The Mistress, Lancelot, characters in the prologue from “The Canterbury Tales”

For major characters (or protagonists) make sure you can discuss character flaws and what those flaws are meant to do – or how they inform us of someone larger idea.

Motifs: ambush, the mutilation of horses, the troublemaker, beheading, kin killing, important of ancestors, reputation, the arming of the warrior, the fairy world, green, 

Symbols: the brain-ball, the cauldron of resurrection, Heorot, Grendal, the Dragon, the fiery lake (and Grendal’s mothers’ hLL),  hrunting, the giant’s sword, Gawain’s shield, the girdle (remember characters themselves can also be symbols)

Allusions: for each story or book be able to pick out some allusions and link them to a theme

Irony: For each story or book be able to pick out some ironies

Make sure you keep a list of events from any book or story that backs up a theme.  You will need to use examples. Specific examples.

You will need to be able to compare and contrast the three poems – Battle of Muldoon, The Seafarer, The Wanderer—with each other and/or be able to connect to a theme and used to back up a larger book (such as Beowulf or Sir Gawain and the Green Knight).

 There will be an essay questions on this test.

Friday

Today - you will have time to work on your Personal Narratives.  Remember that this are due on Monday.  Please use this time wisely.

Thursday

Today - we will be reading Sir Thomas More and Queen Elizabeth on page 444.  You will also answer questions 1-4 and 9 on page 449. 

If there is any time left you can work on your Personal Narratives.  NOTE - PERSONAL NARRATIVES are due on MONDAY.

Please turn them in on Monday. 

Wednesday

Today we are going to hear Sadie's presentation and then look at John Milton (page 488).  You will need to do study question 1-4, and 8 on page 503),

Tuesday

So - today we are going to finish reading the overview material that we started yesterday (page 299) and then look at Edmund Spenser (page 318).

You will need to do the questions 1-3, 5, 7 and 9 on page 322.

Note we will be moving on to Sir Thomas More, Queen Elizabeth, John Milton and John Donne later this week. 

Monday

Today we will finish the presentations that we have not done yet, turn in the first drafts of your Personal Narratives (final drafts are due next Monday), and look at "The English Renaissance".  We will read the overview of the times and read Christopher Marlowe and Sir Walter Raleigh on pages 312-316.

Homework - questions 1-3, 6 and 8 on page 317.

Friday

Today you will be presenting your Canterbury projects.  Note - I have only seen one, so I'm guessing everyone else had no problems with the project.  If you get through all of the projects, we work on Personal Narratives.  Drafts are due on Monday.

Note - there is less than two weeks left in class (as finals will be on 12/19).

For some of you, this will be an important two weeks.

Wednesday

So - I'm stuck in Juneau.  Here is what you can do today - 1) Practice your stories in front of Billi Clem and the class.  2) Continue to work on your personal narratives.  Note - I have only seen drafts of Peyton, Iraida and Gavin.  The rest of you need to send me your drafts so that I can comment on them.

Wednesday

Please be prepared to present today!

Remember to look over the four parts of the project that you need to present

REQUIREMENTS:

Part 1: You must dress up as the character as described in the Prologue of the poem (note: you should also read very closely the character’s prologue to their own story for it will give you insight into how the character acts, thinks, and relates to the other characters). As part of the presentation you’ll need to discuss what you are wearing and why (or what it represents)? You will also need to present your character traits. What your character is like—what do they believe, how do think of themselves, how do they act towards others or towards God. You may wish to do some research on your character or your character type (example you might wish to look at Friars and what Friars where about and how they where suppose to act and compare those ideas with how your character acts and believes).

Part 2: You’ll need to present your tale to the class. You can do it in one of two ways: 1) D.I. or Dramatic Interpretation of the story (this means you pick the highlights, write a script based on the highlights and act it out). 2) Rewrite the story in your own words and language and present it as a transcript—meaning you read it, but give a dramatic reading
(not just a reading like we do in class)

Part 3: Teach the class the following: 1) what type of literary tale is your story? 2) What does the tale mean (if anything). Connect the tale to a THEME? What does the tale reveal about you character and who your character is? What—if any—kinds of literary devices does your tale use?

Part 4: Make a brief argument why your character won the bet: Who can tell the best story.

Monday - Tuesday

So, I am out of town until Wednesday.  Remember that you need to bring your character clothes for presentations on Wednesday.

You should also be working on your Personal Narratives.  First drafts are due next Monday.

Here is the assignment and rubric:

Personal Narrative

      A Personal Narrative is a form of writing in which the writer relates an event, incident, or experience in his or her own life. It is usually focused on one idea.  The events of a personal narrative are most often presented in chronological order, the order in which they actually occurred in time. The personal narrative incorporates vivid descriptive details as well as the thoughts, feelings, and reactions of the writer. 

        

Remember the first paragraph, just like an essay, should have a grabber or an attention getting statement and it can set up your reason for writing—it could contain a controlling idea and can also state a list of topics that you will discuss in your essay (these are not bad things to practice and you should look at the student examples).   It should follow a plot with an exposition, inciting event and a resolution. 

         Some things you can discuss:

1) Who are you and where are you from?  What is your family like?   What do your parents or relatives do?  Do you have a unique cultural background or unique family traditions?

2) Tell me something was important in your life (example: describe winning a race, or attending your sister’s marriage, etc.)

3) Tell a story about your past (maybe this past summer—such as your job)?

4) Overcoming some problem or situation (example: I had a girl in the Marshall

Islands write about battling anorexia).

5) Take an experience from your life, an experience that taught you something about life (either about suffering, about healing, about people, about yourself) –Think about F. Scott Fitzgerald’s statement: “What most people are ashamed of usually makes a good story.” 

Personal Narrative Rubric

	4	3	2	1
Ideas: Introduction to the topic.  Engaging and orienting the reader by setting out a problem or a situation.  This should include a controlling idea or suggested theme. (W2a, W3a)	Topic – controlling idea or theme is clear, and engaging.  There is a problem or conflict in the personal narrative.  The controlling idea links all sections of the narrative.  The presentation is near poetic in effect.	Topic – controlling idea or theme is clear and engaging.	Topic – controlling idea or theme is not clear, or the introduction is not engaging.  There might be no conflict or problem or the intro. is wordy and /or rambles without getting to the point.	The introduction is hard to read or to understand as far as it relates to a central idea or theme.
Details: Use of narrative techniques such as dialogue, descriptions, concrete details.  This could include figurative language (metaphor, similes, symbols, personification), use of allusions, irony, and/or effective dialect. (W2b, W3b, W3c, W3d)	Details are effective and add depth to the narrative.  The use of strategies such as figurative language relate back to the controlling idea or theme.  Use of many techniques or strategies.	Details are effective and concrete.  Use of many techniques or strategies.	The narrative could use more details to develop the setting, problem or the readers understanding of the storyline.	No specific details.  Narrative is a collection of generalizations.
Organization: Use of transitions from idea to idea, sequencing of events or plot strategies, the presentation of ideas in a logical format.  (W2c, W2f, W3b, W3c, W3e)	The sequence of events and/or use of transitions to connect ideas and adds to the text’s meaning or is innovative.  Techniques such as flashback, foreshadowing, use of parallelism, and sentence organization (loose and/or periodic structures) might be used.	The sequence of events and/or use of transitions is effective.	Narrative is either missing transitions or the sequence of events are out of order, illogical, or confusing as presented.	Narrative lacks structure or organization.
Word Choice/Syntax: Use of precise language, interesting word choice, SAT vocabulary and varied syntax (w2d, w2e, L3)	Impressive and effective vocabulary.  Effective and engaging syntax.  Use of high-level vocabulary and many types of sentences and sentence lengths for effect.	Precise and effective language/vocabulary.  Varied syntax.	Overuse of “to be” verbs or repetitious language.  Syntax is not varied much.	No variation in syntax.  Word choice is simplistic.
Conventions/Spelling (L1, L2)	No noticeable grammar errors	1-3 noticeable errors, but errors do not distract from the readability of the narrative.	3 or more noticeable errors, or an error or errors that distract from the readability of the narrative.	Narrative is plagued with grammar errors and is hard to read