The Poison Tree by William Blake

Extra credit for this week: Read "The Poison Tree" by William Blake. 

What is this poem about?  What symbols and metaphors are in these poems, and what do they mean?  Write a short essay describing your understanding of the poem.

Some Hints for Writing Your Poem

How do you write a poem based on a visual metaphor?  We did it as a class, so that students would have an example about how to translate their visual metaphors into descriptive words.   Each class wrote a poem based on an animal a class member had chosen as a visual metaphor.  In Period 5, the class picked a lion, and wrote this poem:

I am King of the Jungle
Dangerous, fast in reaction

Aggressive, fast to attack

Courageous and

Impervious to distraction.

Though, growing up as a cub,

It was a mirror image of what’s happening now,

I was the deer, I was the gazelle, I was the zebra

Unable to avoid destruction.

I earned my crown creating treason,

Betraying my followers,

I learned how to become destruction

That’s why I’m King -

For a reason.

The students of Period 7 picked a crocodile, and wrote this poem:

I am a crocodile,

Patient, hungry and versatile.

I’m evil – there’s no denial.

I am keen to get my prey

And show only my eyes.

My sharp teeth will rip through your flesh

And my mind will get me to your death.

What kind of people are we describing here?  The lion, Period 5 decided, is a person who is fierce and ruthless.  The crocodile, according to Period 7, is a person who is cunning, devious and dangerous.

Reminder: Make sure you have a completed Visual Metaphors Response Sheet saved to your account.  Once that is completed you may begin writing your poem, based on the three visual metaphors in your Visual Metaphors Response Sheet. 

Visual Metaphors and You: Write the Poem!

Use the Visual Metaphors Response Sheet (on the right of this page), and paste your three visual metaphors symbolizing YOU into the sheet.  THEN write a poem (no less than eight lines) describing yourself in metaphor.  You may use rhyme or free verse.  You may use more than three visual metaphors, but you must use AT LEAST the three visual metaphors from your Visual Metaphors Response Sheet.

Songs, Raps or Poems to Analyze

You may provide songs, raps or poems to me for the class to analyze, but they must have symbols and metaphors in them that we can decipher.  Please submit those songs, raps or poems to me by the end of the day. 

Literary Elements and Techniques in Poetry

We identified symbolism, metaphor, simile, assonance, and personification in the poems "Fire and Ice" by Robert Frost, "See You Next Year" by Judith Pordon, and in the song "All Good Things Come to an End," by Nelly Furtado.  We saw the metaphor of fire symbolizing passion emerge both in the Nelly Furtado song and the Robert Frost poem.  Tomorrow we will look at more poems and songs, uncovering their hidden meanings and interpreting their images. 

Dissecting the Test: How do you write an essay on a topic that is NOT of interest?

Now that the class has completed the baseline assessment and handed it in, we took a look at the test itself.  You may not have like the passages, but even if you are not interested in the topic, how can you make sure you write a good essay?

The directions for this ELA Practice Regents include a statement about the essay topic.  In this case, the topic was "possessions."  What did each passage have to say about the significance of possessions in a person's life? 

Some Reading Strategies:
Always look at the title of each passage.  Titles can give you ideas for your essay, and provide hints about the overall topic of the passage.  We looked at the passages in detail to determine how they relate to the topic of "possessions."  We began to figure out how to write a good essay, despite finding the readings dry or uninteresting. 

It would be great if, in college or work, you would never have to read anything boring, but I can assure you that you will encounter texts that are less than fascinating.  Make the topic work for you.  Discover the underlying meaning of the text, and then write your interpretation into your essay.  

When reading any literary work, remember to use the strategies we have discussed to decipher words that you don't know.  Those strategies include breaking the word down into parts,  using contextual clues, and seeing if you know a similar word in another language (for instance, Spanish, which has Latin roots.  Many more complex English words have Latin roots).

Comma Rules

Download my Comma Rules from this link, or get it from the Handouts list on the right side of this page.  You may also pick up a "hard copy" in the classroom. 

Assignment: Write two sentences exemplifying each comma rule.  In total, that makes six sentences.  Please write the sentences on lined 8.5x11 paper and put your paper in your folder.   

Homework

Bring in a poem, or the lyrics to a rap or song.  Make sure the song or poem has a deeper meaning, the way "The Rose That Grew From Concrete" does.  You may bring in a favorite song that you find online, or you may bring in a poem or rap that you have written yourself.  I will read all of the songs or poems that you bring in and choose one or two that we will analyze and interpret as a class. 

First Writing Assignment

We read "The Rose That Grew From Concrete" by Tupac Shakur.  Write an essay of a page and a half responding to the following questions:
1) What is the poem about?  What does it mean?
2) How do you personally relate to this poem?  Is it true in your own life?  In what way?

This assignment is due, completed and in your folder, by the end of the week.  If you were not in class, it is still required of you, and you are still responsible for having it in your folder. 

Welcome to Camilla's College Literature and Writing Class, Fall 2010, Cycle 1

Welcome to College Literature and Writing.  All students taking this class must have passed the ELA Regents exam. 

In order to pass this class you must do the following:
1) Complete all assigned work
2) Attend class regularly
3) Stay focused on classwork during class time
4) Complete assigned homework
5) Do your best work, not second-rate work.

Cell phones and other personal technology items are not allowed in class.  They cannot be out, visible, or in use at any time during the class.

Work That Must Be in Your Folder In Order to Receive Credit

1) Student paper specifically assigned to you, with your corrections and MLA citations, hand-written.
2) Student paper specifically assigned to you, with your corrections and MLA citations, typed, and added to the existing paper.
3) Bibliography, typed on a separate piece of paper, to go along with the paper that you corrected that was specifically assigned to you.
4) Corrections, hand written, on "Domestic Violence" and "The Reformation" papers.
5) Practice Bibliography with MLA citations from newspaper articles in the NYTimes, Wall Street Journal, Christian Science Monitor and Washington Post.
6) Visual Metaphors Response Sheet, completed.

Literary Interpretation: Symbolism and Metaphor in Poetry

In college you will be reading poems by Shakespeare, William Blake, Matthew Arnold, and others. Let's look at one of the most famous Shakespeare poems, Sonnet XVIII: "Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer's Day?"

1) Can you read the roman numerals? What number sonnet is it?

2) Read the sonnet. What is it about? What metaphors does it use, and what do they mean?

3) You will recognize footnotes when reading this poem. We saw footnotes and discussed them when we were doing research for our papers. Use the footnotes to figure out the meaning of this poem.

________________________________
1 In the time of Shakespeare, "temperate" carried both outward and inward meanings (externally, a weather condition; internally, a balanced nature),


2 as did the word "complexion,” in line six, which can have two meanings: 1) The outward appearance of the face as compared with the sun ("the eye of heaven") in the previous line, the first meaning is more obvious, meaning of a negative change in the person’s outward appearance, or 2) The second meaning of "complexion" would communicate that the beloved's inner, cheerful, and temperate disposition is sometimes blotted out like the sun on a cloudy day.


3 The word “fair” can be translated as “lovely,” or “beautiful.”


4 The word, "untrimmed" in line eight, can be taken two ways: First, in the sense of loss of decoration and frills, and second, in the sense of untrimmed sails on a ship. In the first interpretation, the poem reads that beautiful things naturally lose their fanciness over time. In the second, it reads that nature is a ship with sails not adjusted to wind changes in order to correct course. This, in combination with the words "nature's changing course", creates an oxymoron: the unchanging change of nature, or the fact that the only thing that does not change is change. Both change and eternity are then acknowledged and challenged by the final line.


5 "Ow'st" in line ten can also carry two meanings equally common at the time: "ownest" and "owest". Many readers interpret it as "ownest", as do many Shakespearean glosses ("owe" in Shakespeare's day, was sometimes used as a synonym for "own"). However, "owest" delivers an interesting view on the text. It conveys the idea that beauty is something borrowed from nature—that it must be paid back as time progresses. In this interpretation, "fair" can be a pun on "fare", or the fare required by nature for life's journey. Other scholars have pointed out that this borrowing and lending theme within the poem is true of both nature and humanity. Summer, for example, is said to have a "lease" with "all too short a date."

Final Unit: Literary Interpretation

What metaphors best describe your personality?

In your writing journal, do a quick entry: If I were an animal, I would be a ______________, because...

In this unit, you will look at metaphors that describe your personality, and then we will look at how writers use metaphors and symbolism to express their feelings and thoughts about themselves and the world.

Download this Visual Metaphors Response Sheet and use it for this assignment. Go to Google Image Search and look for three pictures that "are" you. DON'T find things you like. Find things you ARE. That means, don't print out a picture of your favorite cell phone. What you need to find is a picture of something that expresses your self -- your personality. For instance, are you a rainstorm? Are you a rose? Are you a box of chocolates? Whatever you pick will tell us about the kind of person you are. A person who considers herself a rose is different from a person who considers herself a dandelion.

What it Takes to Make a Paper Good Enough to Hand In

We are correcting research papers, making sure the in-text citations are correctly done, and adding a bibliography.  If you wrote a paper in this class last cycle, you will be using that paper.  If you did not write a paper last cycle, you will be using someone else's folder.  In Period 2, the papers were assigned and worked on as follows, starting on May 24th, 2010:
John R. is working on Jodie's paper.
Doralee is working on her own paper.
Kassandra is working on Michelle's paper.
Anthony R. is working on Edwin's paper.
Rhenea is working on her own paper.
John G. is working on Carlos G's paper.
Torvari is working on Millie's paper.
Rachel is working on Kristie's paper.
In Period 5:
Jodie is working on her own paper.
Nelson is working on Edwin's paper.
Karesse is working on her own paper.
Duaine is working on Millie's paper.
Robert is working on Carlos G's paper.
Aaron D. is working on his own paper.
Tatiana is working on her own paper.
Justin is working on Shelbey's paper.
Christina M. is working on her own paper.
Christine S. is working on Xiomara's paper.
Carlos A. is working on Kristie's paper.

Evaluate Your News Sources

Now that you have looked at the websites of four of the most prestigious newspapers in the United States, write a journal entry describing which newspaper you like best, and why.  The newspapers are The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Christian Science Monitor, and the Wall Street Journal.

Assignment for Wednesday, May 19th

Find 5 articles from these websites:

The New York Times
The Wall Street Journal
The Christian Science Monitor
 The Washington Post

Create a bibliography citing these articles correctly.  You may read each article, but you do not have to print it out, unless you want to do so.  Then utilize the handout on the MLA format, which should be in your folder, but is also available here.  Use it to create a bibliography of the 5 articles.  Please follow the exact format as shown in the MLA handout.  That handout is also available in the classroom.

Cycle 6: Upcoming Work, Previous Assignments, Materials Needed

Because of the cycle system, some of you did not write papers last cycle, because you were not in this class.  You will be working with previous students' papers and research documents.  Your job is to create a bibliography for the paper you're working on, and make sure that the citations within the paper are correct.  We want to end up with the kind of paper that you could legitimately submit for an introductory college course.  Use the criteria outlined in the previous posts to correct the paper and create the bibliography.  Those materials are both available online, and in the classroom. 

PREVIOUS ASSIGNMENTS:
If you have not corrected the first two papers we did as a group - the one on the Reformation and the one on domestic violence, you need to have those corrected and in your folders by week's end.  Those papers are available in the classroom only. 

MATERIALS REQUIRED FOR THIS CYCLE:
Notebooks were handed out today to each student who was in attendance.  They will be used for daily writing assignments.  If you do not have a notebook you need to make sure to get one from me.  Please write your name on the first page of the notebook, and nowhere else.  I would like to use the remaining pages for next year, so please do not deface the book.  Thanks!

Grading Papers - Assessing Work

We're looking at two papers written by anonymous class members.  Your criteria for assessment is the RUBRIC, and your instructions for writing the paper.  In addition:

Instructions For Grading:

Do you suspect they didn’t write it?  Highlight or underline it.

Is it confused, or confusing?  Write a question mark in the margin.

Circle things that you think have problems.

Write your comments in the margins.

You may use a question mark, exclamation point, smiley face –

whatever conveys your feelings about that section of the essay. 

You may use proof-readers marks.

Then use the RUBRIC for an overall assessment.

 

Welcome to Cycle 6

We have several goals for this cycle. Among them are:

1) To examine research methodology critically, and fine tune research practice.

2) To proof read and improve written work in order to become comfortable with college-level expectations.

2) To regularly practice college entry-level writing.

3) To continue to read suitable grade-level texts for understanding, and explain them in your own words, in order to become more comfortable with reading and writing on an entry-level college level.

Are You Reading for Understanding At Grade Level?

We read an article from the New York Times on the recent oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. What is the article about? What suggestions is the author making, and to whom? Your explication of this article should be done on this form.
Text-to-Self: Activating Prior Knowledge

Here's what we knew before reading the article:

• Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill
• They had to capture the fish to preserve the population
• It did a lot of damage to the land to the biology of the area
• Floating thing to try to stop the oil from flowing
• Besides them losing money, it’s polluting the water now.
• BP (the oil company) lost money, and so did the fishermen.
• Pollution
• They are trying to use a controlled fire to burn up some of the oil in the water.
• People might get sick
• We might not be able to eat seafood
• Animals might mutate

Here Are Our Strategies for Reading for Understanding:

• Figure out words you don’t know
• Determine the source of the complaint: what is the author criticizing?
• Draw conclusions based on the reading
• Predict possible solutions

How to Cite a Source in Your Paper and in the Bibliography, MLA Style

The Modern Language Association (MLA) Style is widely used for identifying research sources. In MLA style you briefly credit sources with parenthetical citations in the text of your paper, and give the complete description of each source in your Bibliography, which is a list of all the sources used in your paper, arranged alphabetically by author's last name, or when there is no author, by the first word of the title (except A, An or The).

FOR OUR PAPERS IN THIS CLASS, we are going to use the MLA style. MLA stands for “Modern Language Association.” Your citations in your bibliography for this paper must be in MLA style.

WEB ARTICLE CITATION, MLA STYLE:
Last Name, First Name. “Article Title.” Name of publication. Date of publication. Web Site Name. Date of access with day, then month, then year .

Batchelor, Bob. "Bootlegging." Dictionary of American History. 2003. Encyclopedia.com. 26 Apr. 2010 .

Complete publication information may not be available for a Web site. Provide what is given.

Entire Internet Site: Scholarly Project or Professional Site

Title of the Site. Editor. Date and/or Version Number. Name of Sponsoring Institution. Date of Access .

Encyclopedia Mythica. 2004. 13 May 2004 .

Document from a Web Site

Author. "Title of Web Page." Title of the Site. Editor. Date and/or Version Number.
Name of Sponsoring Institution. Date of Access .

Sherman, Chris. "Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About URL." SearchEngineWatch. Ed. Danny Sullivan. 24 Aug. 2004. 4 Sept. 2004 .

Interview Conducted by the Researcher
Person Interviewed. Type of Interview (personal, telephone, email, etc.). Date.
Nakamura, Michael. Personal interview. 23 July 2004.

TELEVISION PROGRAM:
"Title of Episode or Segment." Title of Program or Series. Credit (Performer, writer, etc). Name of Network. Call Letters (if any), City of Local Station (if any). Broadcast Date.

"Daddy Knows Best." Cold Case Files. Narr. Bill Kurtis. A & E. 6 Sept. 2004.

"Why the Towers Fell." Nova. PBS. KHET, Honolulu. 7 Sept. 2004.

WITHIN THE TEXT OF THE PAPER, YOU SHOULD CITE THE SOURCES LIKE THIS:

Abraham Lincoln's birthplace was designated as a National Historical Site in 1959 (National Park Service).

Note: Personal or corporate author and page number should be given if they exist on the website.

FOR YOUR FURTHER INFORMATION:
The other two common styles used for citing sources in papers are Chicago Style and APA (American Psychological Association) style. You may be required to use those styles for some courses in college, but for now, I just want you to see what they look like, and how they’re different from MLA.

Here are some examples of how these different styles look:

WEB ARTICLE CITATION IN A BIBLIOGRAPHY, CHICAGO STYLE:
Batchelor, Bob. "Bootlegging." Dictionary of American History. 2003. Encyclopedia.com. (April 26, 2010). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-3401800513.html

WEB ARTICLE CITATION IN A BIBLIOGRAPHY, APA STYLE:
Batchelor, Bob. "Bootlegging." Dictionary of American History. 2003. Retrieved April 26, 2010 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-3401800513.html

Due Dates and Further Details on Structure:

Your paper is due on Monday, May 3rd. Your paper should have:
1) An introduction, stating your research question and answering it briefly.

2) Body paragraphs that go into detail, in which you describe your understanding of the research you've done, and backing it up with evidence from the research sources that you've used and citing your sources.

3) A conclusion that reaffirms your initial answer to your research question.

Pacing and Deadlines

There are seven days left 'til the end of the cycle. Pace yourself wisely. Make sure you attend every day. By tomorrow, you should have your introduction and your first page. Next week will be spent completing the paper. We only have four days, because next Friday is the Health Fair. The paper, including the title page and bibliography, is due May 4th.

Identifying Your Research Sources

Use the Research URLs worksheet to indicate what web sites you have vetted and are using as sources for your paper. The Source Identification Sheet must be completed, and in your folder in order for you to proceed with your research.

Mid-Cycle Assessment

How well do you understand what you are reading? Together, we are going through your work, and the process with which you come to understand the materials you have gathered. In your folder is your Skills Assessment Checklist. We use that to both determine your current level of mastery, and to plan goals as we move forward in this class.

How Your Paper Must be Structured

Introduction: State your research question and answer it.

The rest of the paper uses evidence from your research to support your opinion, stated in the introduction.

The conclusion restates your opinion and summarizes the evidence.

EVERY PIECE OF EVIDENCE YOU USE MUST BE CITED!!!!!! THAT MEANS YOU MUST USE FOOTNOTES AND A BIBLIOGRAPHY AT THE END. ALSO, in the text you have to say, “According to…” or some similar phrase to indicate where you got your information.

Research Materials Due

Each student must have at least three research articles articles printed out, vetted (that means identified as reliable sources), and highlighted. Those articles should be in your folder by the end of the day.

Reading Your Research

As you look at the articles you find, use the reading strategies we practiced in the first semester to figure out the meaning of what you see before you. If you encounter words you don't know, what strategies can you use to figure out their meaning? Of course you can always use a dictionary, but there are other strategies that we have learned about in the past that can help you. Remember context clues, breaking the word down into parts (prefix, root word and suffix), and activating prior knowledge. Activating prior knowledge means using what you already know to help you understand what you are learning and reading now. For instance, an example of prior knowledge might be your knowledge of Spanish. You may recognize a root word as being similar to a Spanish word. That would most likely be because both the English and Spanish words have their root in a Latin word. In that way, your prior knowledge of Spanish can help you understand what you're reading in English today. Also, always evaluate what you're reading to make sure the source is reputable.

Gathering Your Research

Make sure you have a copy of the "What Does Good Internet Research Looks Like?" handout. Begin your research using the standards and practices outlined in the handout.

REMEMBER: Your topic must be approved by me and then signed by you on your Research Paper Planning Worksheet.

Evaluating Work

In each of your folders you will find the ELA Skills Checklist, that evaluates your reading, writing and listening skills. Your ability to express yourself, along with your comprehension, interpretation and analysis of materials will be measured on this checklist. You can use the checklist's criteria to evaluate your research. Are you able to understand, interpret and analyze the research material that you have gathered? If you cannot, you will have to continue to search and find more useful material for your research paper.