Humanities 8

Students in Humanities are completing their Unit on China. Giant posters of the Great Wall are being created and placed on the walls of the classroom. In conjunction with their posters, students have an understanding of the physical geography of the country. Please complete homework questions and hand in any missing work for term four by Friday, June 7th.

English 10

A reminder that projects are due this Friday, June 7th. We have had some very interesting work submitted so far. Song performances, children's books, and interesting twists on Romeo and Juliet (Romaine and Julienned) top the list. I look forward to the varying array of work students have been working on. Romeo and Juliet Monopoly is sure to be a big hit.

As we approach the end of the year, be sure to practice writing original compositions, synthesis essays, and to study your literary terms in preparation for your Provincial exam.

Please be sure to contact me at david.miller@sd71.bc.ca with any questions that may arise.

Well done to you all.

English 10

Two classrooms, both alike in dignity
(In fair Courtenay, where we lay our scene)
From ancient textbook, break to new understanding
Where civil..........

OK, we are looking at Romeo and Juliet. Firstly, we want to crack some of this iambic code—enought to understand the basic elements of the plot. Secondly, we are comparing two versions of this play in movie form. The first viewing, which we play in conjunction with reading the text, is directed Franco Zeffirelli. We will then view the Baz Luhrmann's version with the hunky Leonardo Dicaprio. After comparing both versions, we will write a synthesis essay and continue to work on our projects.

Student projects are due on June the 7th.

Exeunt

Finis

Humanities 8

Humanities 8 is completing their Twisted Fairy Tales. After looking at Stock Characters (universal character types), traditional elements of Fairy Tales, and typical plot outlines, students have written their own "Twisted" Tales. Due date for this assignment is May 22nd. 

Our next Unit will look at Ancient China, followed by the Renaissance. Keep up the great work everyone. 

Poetry terms and example poems

I found a very helpful website for you young poets out there. I like that there are example poems used to help with your terms. Enjoy!

http://www.poetryoutloud.org/poems-and-performance/poetic-forms-and-terms

Poetry

This week we have explored poetry terms and devices, different forms of poetry, and voice. Poetry terms include stanza types, free verse and  rhyme scheme. Poetry forms include narratives, descriptive, haiku, concrete, lyric, and sonnets. We also spoke about the value of voice as well as some spoken word pieces.

Here are some samples to whet your pallet:

I will not let an exam result decide my fate by sulibreezy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-eVF_G_p-Y

Green eggs and ham read by Jesse Jackson
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPy2alWEZ-U

Where the wild things are read by Christopher Walken
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKNaYlzssbc

To this day by Shane Koyczan
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ltun92DfnPY


Here is a list of poetic devices that you should be able to recognize and use:

Symbolism. Alliteration, Consonance, Assonance, Personification, Metaphor, Simile, Imagery, Allusion, Irony, Hyperbole and Onomatopoeia


Continue to write poetry. You are to submit five of your best poems one week from today.

Poetry

Introduction to Poetry

Like music, poetry can be a window to the mind and it's a wonderful form of expression.

Poems can convey feeling, emotions and ideas.

When it comes to poetry, there are three essential ingredients that contribute to the meaning and message behind a poem. They are form, devices and theme.  As an example, we will look at the ancient Japanese poetic form called haiku as it relates to these three concepts.

Form:  This refers to the actual way the poem is put together, such as the number of stanzas, the type of rhyme scheme, and the type of poem. Just like the body has a skeleton to hold its shape, poems have a structure that holds their ideas together. In poetry, that "skeleton" is called form. There are many different types or forms of poetry such as Haiku, Couplet, Quatrain, Limerick, and Free Verse. Poem’s form may be very restricted and limited or very free without many restrictions. Rules for form might include number of words, indention, capitalization, number of syllables, placement of rhymed words, and number and/or placement of lines.

• With a haiku, the poem is usually three lines long, has been broken up so that there are 5 syllables in the first line, 7 in the next and back to 5 syllables in the last line. There is usually no rhyming, so the scheme would be ABC, and the type of poem is descriptive.

Poetic Devices: There are numerous devices employed within poetry, essentially it is language being used in a particular way to convey a certain feeling or meaning. Poetic devices are tools that an author uses to help the reader visualize what is happening in a story or poem. Devices include imagery, alliteration, metaphor, onomatopoeia and simile.

• With haikus, imagery is the main poetic device.

Theme: Theme is just that, it is the general idea or thought being conveyed through the poem.  The theme is the point a writer is trying to make about a subject. Learning about theme helps you decide what is important. The theme of the poem tells what the whole poem is about. All the words, descriptions, figurative language, detail sentences, and scenes are all small parts that add to the reader's understanding of what you feel about the theme.

• With haikus, the general theme has to do with a moment in nature.