Dialectical Journals

Effective students have a habit of taking notes as they read. This note-taking can several forms: annotation, post it notes, character lists, idea clusters, and many others. One of the most effective strategies is called a dialectical journal. The word “dialectical” has numerous meanings, but the one most pertinent is the “art of critical examination into the truth of an opinion” or reworded “The art or practice of arriving at the truth by using conversation involving question and answer.” As you read, you are forming an opinion about what you are reading (or at least you are SUPPOSED to be forming an opinion). That opinion, however, needs to be based on the text – not just a feeling. Therefore, all of your opinions need to be based on the text.

The procedure is as follows:

1. Purchase a dedicated spiral notebook and draw a line down the center of each page of the notebook.  NOTE: I expect you to publish these journal entries on your blogs nightly and number them as you go.

2. As you read, pay close attention to the text.

3. Whenever you encounter something of interest (this could be anything from an interesting turn of phrase to a character note), write down the word/phrase in the LEFT HAND COLUMN making sure that you NOTE THE PAGE NUMBER. If the phrase is especially long just write the first few words, use an ellipsis, then write the last few words.

4. In the RIGHT HAND COLUMN, WRITE YOUR OBSEVRATIONS ABOUT THE TEXT you noted in the left-hand column. This is where you need to interact in detail with the text. Make sure that your observations are THOROUGH, INSIGHTFUL, and FOCUSED CLEARLY ON THE TEXT.

Requirements:

1) For each novel we read you will need to complete a MINIMUM of 55 entries if you wish to be eligible for an “A”.  35 is the minimum for a passing grade.  Make sure you number your entries.
2) A completed dialectical journal should be brought to class each day a reading assignment is due.
3) On some short fiction and poetry reading assignments I may ask you to keep a dialectic journal on the reading (usually I’ll ask for 5-10 entries for shorter works).
4)  Dialectic journals will be used as part of class discussion and will be randomly collected and graded for homework.

When should you write things down?
• When certain details seem important to you
• When you have an epiphany
• When you learn something significant about a character
• When you recognize a pattern (overlapping images, repetitions of idea, details, etc.)
• When you agree or disagree with something a character says
• When you find an interesting or potentially significant quote.
• When you notice something important or relevant about the writer’s style.
• When you notice effective uses of literary devices.
• When you notice something that makes you think of a question

That is all there is to it. This way, once you have read your text you will already have a great set of notes on which to draw when you write your paper. You also should have gained a great deal of insight about your particular text.

Note: Should you rather type this, just use the COLUMN function in your tool bar and complete steps two-four electronically.

Grading  (based on 55 entries, if you have 45 entries an A= B, B= C, 35 entries A=C)

A—Detailed, meaningful passages, plot and quote selections; thoughtful interpretation and commentary about the text; includes comments about literary elements (like theme, diction, imagery, syntax, symbolism, etc.) and how these elements contribute to the meaning of the text; asks thought-provoking, insightful questions; coverage of text is complete and thorough; journal is neat, organized, numbered and readable.
B—Less detailed, but good selections; some intelligent commentary about the text; includes some comments about literary elements (like theme, diction, imagery, syntax, symbolism, etc.) but less than how these elements contribute to the meaning of the text; asks some thought-provoking, insightful questions; coverage of the text is complete and thorough; journal is neat, organized, numbered and readable.
C—A few good details about the text; most of the commentary is vague, unsupported or plot summary/paraphrase; some listing of literary elements, but perhaps inadequate discussion, but not very thoroughly; journal is relatively neat.
D—Hardly any good or meaningful details from the story; notes are plot summary or paraphrase; few literary elements, virtually no discussion on meaning; no good questions; limited coverage of text, and/or too short.

BEOWULF

Today,

We will take a quiz, look at the Unit Goal, and begin taking notes on Beowulf.

Branwen - Assignment

1)  Connections: Characters – compare the characters of the two stories, which characters are alike.  You can compare kings, warriors, women.

   Answers should be 2-3 sentences for each character.

2) Compare the conflicts in the two stories in 2-3 sentences. 

3)    Compare the following themes in the two stories: The Role of Kings (think about who is a better king and why); The Role of Women (and yes there are women in “The Death of Conchobar”); The concept of magic (think about who uses magic in each story and what the purpose of magic is for); hospitality (yes its there in Conchobhar just not as clear); paganism vs. Christianity (perhaps more important in Conchobhar—think about the ending); man alone in a hostile world. 

Each comparison needs to be 2-3 sentences long.  

4)  Compare the endings of the two stories: how are they alike. 

5)     List your favorite moment from each story.

6    6) Find a photo for each of the characters in Branwen - post these to your blog.

      

      7) Find a song that fits a theme of Branwen.  

8    8) In your own words retell the story. 

Branwen

Today - we will look at the words of the day; take notes on the qualities of a King, a Warrior, the culture; talk about "Branwen" in relation to these notes, and begin the following:

1)  Connections: Characters – compare the characters of the two stories, which characters are alike.  You can compare kings, warriors, women.

   Answers should be 2-3 sentences for each character.

2) Compare the conflicts in the two stories in 2-3 sentences. 

3)    Compare the following themes in the two stories: The Role of Kings (think about who is a better king and why); The Role of Women (and yes there are women in “The Death of Conchobar”); The concept of magic (think about who uses magic in each story and what the purpose of magic is for); hospitality (yes its there in Conchobhar just not as clear); paganism vs. Christianity (perhaps more important in Conchobhar—think about the ending); man alone in a hostile world. 

Each comparison needs to be 2-3 sentences long.  

4)  Compare the endings of the two stories: how are they alike. 

5)     List your favorite moment from each story.

6    6) Find a photo for each of the characters in Branwen - post these to your blog.

      

      7) Find a song that fits a theme of Branwen. 

Branwen

Today - we will be putting words of the day on the board and reading "Branwen, Daughter of Llyr".

There are a lot of characters in this story, so take notes and keep a list as we read.

Conchobar Video

Today: "Words of the Day".  Time to work on presentations.  Presentations.  Quiz.  And finally we'll look at an overview of our next story "Branwen, Daughter of Llyr".

Trevor's Conchobar video

Last day of Conchobar

Today we are going to write words of the day, discuss your study questions on the story (homework) and then work on the group activity. 

We will present either at the end of class or tomorrow. 

Conchobar

Today, we will be reading "The Death of Conchobar".  Your job is to take notes - according to the file (Conchobar).  Also, you need to think about the theme: Paganism vs. Christianity.  Where is the poem pagan?  Where is it Christian?   Is there an interpolation in the text?  Why do you think this?

The Death of Conchobar

Today, we will continue to look at the overview of the class, and then begin reading the "Death of Conchobar".

Here is the link

Pre-reading

Break into groups of three and brainstorm the following:

1) What are the qualities of a warrior/hero (think of the Odyssey, the Iliad)?

2) What are the qualities of a good king?

3) What does a society with a king and warriors look like or act like? 

4) What do you expect from a story about heroes and kings?

5) What does Oral Tradition mean to you and how do you expect it to affect the story?

As we read

1)    Keep track of all the characters that appear.  Who is the protagonist?  The antagonist(s)-- (think type of conflict).

2)    What is the main theme of the story (what is the author trying to say about life).

3)    List at least two symbols in the story.  Why are these important?

4)    Try to outline the plot.

After we read

1)    What is up with the ending?  Why is it important?  Is this a Christian story or a Pagan story?  What clues (evidence) help you determine this?

2)    What does the story tell us about life in Ireland during this time period? 

3)    What do you think about Conchobhar?  Is he a good king?  What is his personality like?

4)    What do you think about Cet?  Is he a good warrior?  What inferences can you make about him?

5)    What other warriors appear in the story? 

6)    Summarize this story.

GROUP ACTIVITY (this is worth 20 points)

Rewrite the story in your own words and give your own telling of it.  This should be a script with characters (one of your characters can be a narrator).  You will act this out in front of class tomorrow.  Your acting/presentation should take 2-3 minutes and I will time it on a stopwatch.  Good luck.  

ocabulary #1: 

Obsolete

Philistine

Meticulous

Officious

Peruse

Mitigate

Perfidy

Morose

Beowulf relevancy in the contempory world!

So, how does Beowulf translate into the contemporary world.  This ancient poem about a culture now gone from the world - does it mean anything? If you view Beowulf as an antiwar poem (and it is), the monsters become symbols of the violence inherent within the culture.  You can kill a monster but the violence will remain (violence is circular).  Likewise, today, terrorism is the monster, the Grendel, of American culture - a symbol of the things we've done to world (invading foreign nations, promoting our global products into every niche of the planet, searching for oil, globalization on a massive scale).  You can kill Bin Laden... 

Unit I

MEDIEVAL LITERATURE: HEROES, MONSTERS and POETS

The Medieval Period marked the transformation from oral to written literature, from pagan to Christian religion, from myth to recorded history, from political chaos to social order, from Old Roman power to the rise of Northern Europe, from Old English (a more Germanic Language) to the Modern English of Shakespeare. This period, roughly from the fall of Rome in 476 A.D. to the beginning of the Renaissance (which in England occurred during the Reign of Queen Elizabeth, who took power in 1558 A.D.), sees the formation of new World Order that is the foundation of Western Culture and the Americas. The literature produced during this time suggests a pre-historic warrior culture, but with a mix of Christian philosophy and satire. By studying this period we become more aware of where Europe came from and aware of how myths change to reflect the values of a culture. We also see glimpses of old myths that our society still clings to and holds dear.

This unit will explore medieval literature that revolves around warriors, heroes, monsters and the ideas of chivalry. We will look at the warrior culture and the roles of individuals in these cultures—particularly the roles of the King (and what makes a good king), the role of the warrior, the roles of women, and the roles of poets (skalds) or storytellers. We will look at the different ideas of afterlife, or the idea of Christianity vs. Paganism, the themes of loyalty, pride, magic and magic’s use in the world (especially in worlds associated with Christianity and/or paganism). We will look at the theme of man alone in a hostile world, why hospitality was important, banishment as a form of punishment and blood-money as a form of justice, and the concept of fate (as in “It’s a good day to die” mentality). We will also discuss the oral tradition and contrast it with the written, and we will view how the English language came to be what it is—meaning we will look at Old English and Middle English and Modern English.

We will read the following texts: “The Death of Concobar” – a story from the Ulster Hero Cycle; “Branwen” – the 2nd branch of the Mabinogion about the war between Wales and Ireland because of the mistreatment of a queen and bad hospitality. The old Anglo-Saxon poems: “The Battle of Muldon”, “The Seafarer”, “The Wanderer”, “A Wife’s Lament”. “Beowulf”, “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight”, “The Death of King Arthur”, sections from the Canterbury Tales, possibly the Saga of King Hrolf Kraki and his Champions, J.R. Tolkien’s “Monsters and the Critics” and his sequel to “The Battle of Maldon” and others.

For this unit you will have a final project, a final test, an essay assignment, at least one creative writing assignment, and various quizzes on various books. We will view a bit of history and look into the humor and cruelty of an ancient world.


STUDY GUIDE and OBJECTIVES: Things you should know by end of Unit.

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 Battle of Muldon”, “The Seafarer”, “The Wanderer”, “The Wife’s Lament”
Beowulf
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
The Canterbury Tales

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, Banishment, Good vs. Evil, Hospitality, The Transitory Nature of Life, and any others we have talked about.

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, all the characters 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, birds and horses, the mutilation of horses, betrayal while the king is away, divine protection, 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’ liar), 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 four poems – Battle of Muldon, The Seafarer, The Wanderer, The Wife’s Lament—with each other and/or be able to connect to a theme and used to back up a larger book (such as Beowulf).

Be able to generalize the differences between the following: Anglo-Saxon, Celtic, and Welsh literature, between Old English and Middle English, between the ideas of Sir Gawain and The Canterbury Tales.

Objectives: By the end of this unit some of the things students should be able to do include

1) Define wergild and give examples from various stories on how it works and why it was important as a form of justice
2) Define wyrd and give examples of heroes that followed this idea or code of life. Explain with examples why it was important to warrior society.
3) Define kenning and give examples
4) Define alliteration and give examples from alliterative poems
5) Define Epic Hero and Epic Poem
6) Keep a list of characters and be able to describe them and compare them to characters from other stories in relation to themes
7) Define chivalry and describe how certain characters followed the chivalric code.
8) Keep a list of symbols and relate these to major themes
9) Keep a list of motifs involving “types of stories” or events that reoccur in oral tradition
10) Be able to describe the rules and structure of warrior society
11) Define scop and discuss the important of poets in some of these stories
12) Discuss flaws of characters and how these flaws cause characters downfall
13) Compare the Seafarer, Wanderer, Wife’s Lament by relating them to warrior society
14) Discuss irony (and type) in each of these works
15) Define “Frame Story”
16) Define and give elements of a “saga”
17) Keep a list of events and descriptions that help you explore the following themes: Man Alone in A Hostile World, Paganism vs. Christianity, The Role of Kings, The Role of Warriors, The Role of Women, The Idea of Honor, Good vs. Evil, Loyalty, Pride, Hospitality, The transitory nature of life.
18) Define and give examples of allegory, allusion, personification, caesura, litotes, and aphorism

Welcome to Class

 British Literature (English 12)

Course Syllabus: 2016-2017

Instructor: Mr. Fielding

Phone: 983-3604

British Literature (English 12)

Course Description

Emphasis: British and World Literature, in-depth analysis of literature by ideas, themes and literary devices.

Align to the Common Core, British and World Literature, a writing and reading intensive course, integrates a variety of literary genres and informational reading with various writing techniques, speaking and writing projects, and the development of vocabulary and grammar skills appropriate to success in college.  It is designed to strengthen students’ comprehension of a wide range of reading materials found in high school and the world beyond, and to give students the opportunity to develop as a writer by introducing and incorporating many different writing strategies into the student’s own work.  The literary genres covered will include short stories, plays, poetry, and novels.  In non-fiction we will look at the structures of the personal essay, memoir, the analytical essay, and the persuasive essay.  The course will cover materials, in historical sequence, from the Anglo-Saxon period to contemporary works. Students will contrast the literary forms, stylistic techniques, and characteristics of the major literary periods. They not only analyze such devices as figurative language, imagery, speaker, and tone, they also relate the literature to the geographical, philosophical, political, religious, cultural, and social influences of those periods. A student who successfully completes British Literature is able to respond to works of great complexity and depth in an articulate and sophisticated manner.

Textbooks (some of all of the following): Holt McDougal: British Literature (anthology), Beowulf, The Canterbury Tales, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Hamlet, The Inferno, Paradise Lost, Great Expectations, 1984. 

JOURNALS/BLOGS

Students will be required to keep a blog throughout the year.  This blog will be your journal writing for the year.  In this blog/journal will be reading reflections, lists of literary devices found in stories and novels, creative assignments that correspond with readings, pre-writing exercises, analytic writing. 

NOTE: I read every journal entry and you will lose points for skipping entries or not following directions.  If you do not understand an assignment please ask.

GRADES:

Tests – 25% of overall grade

Papers—25% of overall grade

Projects—20% of overall grade

Quizzes, class work, homework—20% of overall grade

Journals/Blogs—10% of overall grade

Scale:

100- 93 = A

92.49- 90 = A-

89.49- 87 = B+

86.49-83.00 = B

82.49- 80.00 = B-

79.49-77.00 = C+

76.49- 73 = C

72.49-70.00 = C-

69.49-67.00 = D+

66.49- 63.00 = D

62.49- 60 = D-

Below 60 = F

Late Work: Mark down 10% per day.  You are expected to turn in work on the deadlines due. 

Required Materials:

1 Spiral Notebook (use as a journal)

1 Pocket Folders (to keep handouts, note guides, returned work)

1 Binder with loose paper

General Guidelines:

1. Be prepared when class begins.  It is imperative that all pencils are sharpened and materials are ready when the bell rings. 
2. Class discussions should be conducted in an orderly and respectful fashion. 
3. Do not talk when I am talking.
4. I dismiss you, not the bell!
5. You may choose you own seat, but I reserve the right to assign seats or move you if I see the need.

Respect others and their property.  This respect extends to remaining quiet during announcements, directions, lectures, and presentations.  If you are talking someone else might not be able to hear.