Gifted English II: Focus papers are due today by 3:30; of course, I prefer if you submit them in class during first and second period so we can have a Title Parade. After I collect focus papers from (some of) you, I'll give you a few minutes to review your Poe vocabulary words, and then we are taking the awesome and mighty Poe Vocab Quiz, complete with rat-related clip art and a bonus question. Then, and only then, will we watch the opening scene of The Count of Monte Cristo while we generate a list of How This is Not From the Novel in Any Way, Shape, or Form.
(Note: I don't like showing movies in class; in fact, we only have two other films scheduled for this year--Julius Caesar and Monty Python's Holy Grail. Both of those are worthwhile and related to my curriculum, but a movie day is a day we don't interact and I fail to see the point of that. You may as well have a robot for a teacher.) This may be the only day we watch CMC since I'd really, really like to start the satire unit on Monday. If you want to see more, you might have to come by at lunch or after school on Wednesday. Or go home and add it to your NetFlix queue. You are the digital generation.)
APeeps: After I return the Act II quizzes from yesterday, some of which contained inadvertently hilarious answers, we will take a long look at the soliloquy from Act III, scene i--the famous one you may remember from Billy Madison. Hamlet has now spun from grief to anger and back to grief again, but this one really resonates as he questions the entire scope of the human experience. After we deconstruct this brilliant speech, I have an additional resource for you--a recently published article related how Hamlet is still relevant to 2009. Fantastic stuff, or so sayeth I.
