Monday, June 05, 2017

Essay Rubric for Romeo and Julielt


Rubric for Essay
To receive an “A”, you must do the following:
The essay:
·      is 1.5 spaced
·      has, as a minimum, a 500 word count (approximately two pages)
·      has  paragraphs that are no more than half a page in length
·      is factually accurate
·      has a thesis statement, which gives a framework and a guide to the essay
·      has quotations from the text to support the writer’s position
·      has 5% or fewer grammatical errors such as: sentence fragments, fused sentences, and/or comma splices, and correct use of commas, semi-colons, and capitalization
The heading:
·      Has a title
·      The student’s name, date, and period are on the upper left side of the first page
The introductory paragraph has:
·      A thesis statement (what the essay is about and the position of the writer)
·      The title of the play and the full name of the author
·      A “grabber” that catches the interest of the reader
·      One sentence per main idea that will be discussed later on in the essay
·      A transitional sentence that provides a bridge to the next paragraph


The body paragraphs (paragraphs 2, 3, 4, etc.):
·      Should be no more than half a page in length
·      Should have a mini-topic sentence which helps the reader understand what the paragraph is about
·      Must refer to the text to support the points the writer is making
·      For every point the writer is making, the writer must provide proof from the text to support her point
·      Must have a short quotation and/or a paraphrase of the text to support the point the writer is making
·      Should have a transitional sentence that acts as a bridge to the next paragraph
The Conclusion:
·      There should be no new material in the last paragraph
·      There should be a brief summing up of the main points – one sentence per main idea
·      A final point that sums up the writer’s conclusion

A “B” paper does the following:
Does much of the same things the “A” paper has, but may lack the following:
·      does not follow the 1.5 spacing
·      may not have the 500 word minimum but has, at least, 450 words
·      may not have one sentence per main idea in the introductory paragraph
·      may not have a grabber sentence in the introductory paragraph
·      the paragraphs may be too long (a full page) or too short.
·      may have 10% grammatical errors such as: sentence fragments, fused sentences, comma splices, and incorrect use of commas and capitalizations which may interfere with the reader’s understanding of the paper
·      does not support all the points by references to the text: direct quotations and/or paraphrasing lines from the literary piece.
·      May not have all the main ideas from the essay in the concluding paragraph and/or may have a weak final thought.

A “C” paper does the following:
·      May have less than 400 words
·      May not have a strong and clear thesis statement
·      May have more than 10% grammatical errors such as: sentence fragments, fused sentences, comma splices, and incorrect use of commas and capitalizations, which may interfere with the reader’s understanding of the paper.
·      May use pronouns such as “I” or “you” and includes sentences such as “My paper is going to be about” or “I am going to tell you….”
·      May have many typos, misspellings, and factually incorrect information which would suggest a poorly planned out and hastily written paper
·      May lack quotations and/or paraphrases to support the writer’s point
·      Poor organization which does not follow the format (see the organization for the “A” paper)
A “D” or “F” paper does the following:
·      May have less 300 words
·      No clear strong and clear thesis statement
·      No grabber sentence to attract the reader’s interest
·      Does not have one sentence per main idea in the introductory paragraph
·      May use pronouns such as “I” or “you” and include sentences such as “My paper is going to be about” or “I am going to tell you….”
·      More than 20% grammatical errors, which interferes with the reader’s understanding of the paper.
·      Has many typos, misspellings, and factually incorrect information, which would suggest not a great deal of time was spent on the paper.
·      Lack of clear organization
·      Little to no references to the text, nor quotations, nor paraphrases from the text
·      No conclusion or a conclusion that does not include the main ideas of the paper









Tuesday, May 30, 2017

May 29, 207 - June 2, 2017 Weekly Agenda for 9th Grade English

Monday, May 29th: 
No school today!


Read pages 870, when Lord Capulet enters.

What is Juliet’s reaction when she finds out she is about to be married to Paris on Thursday?

What is Lady Capulet’s reaction when Juliet says no to the arranged marriage with Paris?

What is Lord Capulet’s reaction when Juliet tells him no?

He calls her names like “strumpet”, which means a whore! He disowns her and tells her she can die in the street if she refuses to marry Paris.

What does the Nurse tell Juliet to do after her parents leave?

To commit bigamy, which is being married to two people at the same time. The Nurse tells her to forget about Romeo, because Paris is the better man.

What fateful decision does Juliet make when the Nurse tells her what she thinks?

Juliet decides to pretend she is not angry at the Nurse for giving her this advice (she "plays it off" in front of the Nurse) but secretly Juliet decides the Nurse cannot be trusted and to NEVER confide in her again.

Where does Juliet decide to go now?

She decides to go to the Friar and ask the Friar for advice.  If all else fails, she will commit suicide.

Act 4, Scene 1:
Juliet encounters Paris and much like she did to her mother in the previous scene, she answers Paris’s questions as to whether she loves him, with riddling answers which tell the truth – she does not! She loves another!

After Paris leaves, Juliet pours her heart out to the Friar and threatens suicide! The Friar gives her a potion, which will make her fall into a death-like sleep for forty-two hours. This will prevent her from marrying Paris. Thinking she is dead, her parents will bury her in the family mausoleum. The Friar will send notice to Romeo to be there when she wakes up and they will run off to Mantua and live until the Friar can tell the parents the truth.

Act Four, Scene 2:
Preparation for the wedding!
What was the mood during the scene?
Juliet pretended to be the obedient and contrite daughter.
This made Lord Capulet very happy because he likes to get his way.
He was in such a good mood that he moved the wedding up a day – to Wednesday!  
What effect will this have on the Friar's plans? 

Wednesday, May 31st: 
Turn in your vocabulary and grammar book to the book room. 
Read Act Four, Scene 3, 4, and 5!
Brief discussion! 
Finish discussion tomorrow! 

Thursday, June 1st: 
 
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Romeo and Juliet
Act 4, Scene 3
Page 883
This is the last time Juliet will see her parents and Nurse.
Juliet is getting ready for bed in preparation for what major event tomorrow morning?
She will be getting married to Paris under orders from her parents.  This is called an arranged marriage!

Go through Juliet’s soliloquy and find three things she is terrified of regarding drinking the potion.
Soliloquy is when a character is speaking alone on stage revealing to the audience his or her inner thoughts.
Carolina: What if this mixture does not work at all and I shall be married to Paris?
Carolina: What if she wakes before the Friar and Romeo arrive and she finds herself surrounded by dead molding ancestors! Juliet becomes so terrified by the sight that she goes insane and beats her brains out with her grandfather’s leg bone.
Jasmin: What if the Friar actually gives her poison and it kills her?
Shianne: But the Friar has always been an honorable man.
Juliet works herself into a state of panic, “sees” the ghost of Tybalt coming towards her and cries out to  Romeo to come to her.  She then drinks the potion.

Act 4, Scene 5
The Nurse tries to wake Juliet up but thinks she is dead.
What do you think the Friar is thinking as he walks in to the room?
Sam, Hellen, Gina:
Capulet moving up the wedding from Thursday to Wednesday means that Juliet will probably wake up early alone in the tomb. This means that the Friar must send a letter to Romeo telling him about the plan.
What words of comfort does he give the family?
That death is actually a promotion to Heaven. Why are you crying, then? You displease God and are running counter to his will by crying over your daughter's "promotion."

Act 5, Scene 1
Page 895
Setting: Mantua, where Romeo has been exiled or banished!
Romeo has been having strange dreams where he is dead and Juliet kisses him back to life!  This is foreshadowing! He is very happy and unaware of what is occurring in Verona.

Balthazar, his servant, arrives to tell him that Juliet has died.

Romeo, overcome with grief, decides to go to an apothecary to buy some poison to commit suicide. He chooses an impoverished apothecary (a druggist or chemist) to sell him the very illegal poison – the selling of which guarantees immediate
execution to whomever sells the poison! But the apothecary is so poor and desperate that he willingly sells Romeo the highly illegal drug!

Apothecary:  a chemist, a druggist, a pharmacist

Act 5, Scene 2
Back in Verona
The Friar’s Cell
Vocabulary:
Carolina, Malia, Hellen correctly defines the word "corse"
Corse: Corpse
Corpse is a dead body!
This is foreshadowing and irony. Juliet is not dead yet……

Who is Brother John?
He is the assistant to the Friar.
What was he supposed to do?
Brother John was supposed to deliver the letter explaining everything to Romeo – that in order to get out of marrying Paris in her parents’ arranged marriage, the Friar gave Juliet a potion that mimics death. HOWEVER, JULIET IS NOT DEAD!!!!!! Her parents, thinking she is dead, buries her in the family mausoleum. In forty-two hours Juliet will wake up in the mausoleum and be waiting for him, Romeo, to take her away to Mantua where they will live happily ever after or until the Friar tells the parents and they accept the idea.



Friday, June 2nd


Turnitin.com

Class ID

13628756

Enrollment:

English9
Romeo and Juliet
Act 5; Scene 3:
Page 898
Setting: a churchyard where the dead are buried
Juliet is sleeping in the Capulet mausoleum
Mausoleum: a large ornate building  to house the dead of a very wealthy family
Vocabulary:
Page: a young servant to a lord or upper class, wealthy person
On Monday, June 5th:
You will have a test over Romeo and Juliet
Your notes over Romeo and Juliet will be due BEFORE THE TEST!
And no, this is NOT an open book test!
Your essay on Romeo and Juliet must be submitted on or before 11:59 p.m.,
on turnitin.com on Monday, June 5, 2017.
Class I.D. - 13628756
English9

 
Romeo and Juliet Essay Topics
You must submit your essay to turnitin.com, no later than Monday, June 5, 2017 @ 11:59.
Class ID: 13628756
English9

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic9nyC6omwhsZbzeaRFSjhFAG8fcgtJTjkKF9suHGA292bQ4RiJwOnx6CoSgSGptviVe7XPAngMrrGFspHi_SXAWX0FT2m1hLXyuMMKPUgP-6CWCApC_Q-mieNPfxO9Uq9Dut0Ug/s1600/images-4.jpeg








 Choose one of the following topics and write a well-organized and well-crafted five paragraph essay.



1. Is Mercutio a foil to Romeo? A foil is a character whose personality or traits are the opposite of those of the the lead character; these differences point out and highlight the personality of the lead character. You should find quotations and examples from the play to support your thesis. You may want to use your Act 2 vocabulary packet to help you on this one.


2. Examine Shakespeare’s use of light and dark in literary tropes to illustrate Romeo’s mood in the play. For example, in the beginning of the play Romeo frequently refers to darkness and heaviness; it is when he meets Juliet that he begins to speak of lightness (“It is with love’s light wings did I o’er perch these walls...”) You must find examples to support your thesis.

3. Examine Shakespeare’s use of irony to enhance the suspense in the play. One might examine the dramatic irony in Act 4, Scene 2 in which Juliet’s mother informs her of her impending marriage to Paris. There are many examples of situational and dramatic irony, as well as some verbal irony, in ROMEO and JULIET. Give at least three examples of irony (one of each: situational, verbal, and dramatic) in the play.

4. Examine the role of women in the play: Juliet, the Nurse and Lady Capulet. Show how each responds to the crisis in her life: Juliet’s forced marriage to Paris; Lord Capulet’s abuse of the Nurse and Lady Capulet, and Juliet’s estrangement from the Nurse. You might also wish to consider Lady Capulet's life; in all probability she too was forced into an arranged marriage at the same age as Juliet. Notice in Act 4 Lady Capulet's response to Lord Capulet's sudden decision to change the wedding date. How much resistance does she offer? Does Lord Capulet even consider her objections? Consider too that this scene follows hard upon Act 4, Scene 2 in which Lord Capulet reacts violently to Juliet's refusal to bend to his will. Consider the Nurse's hard, realistic advice to Juliet. Did her life experiences teach her to be pragmatic and realistic?

5. Discuss the theme of the play, ROMEO and JULIET. Find examples to support what you believe is the theme of the play.

6. Throughout the play Romeo makes frequent references to the stars and to the prophetic power of dreams. However, is it the stars and dreams that lead to Romeo's and Juliet's deaths or is it just poor, rash judgment on his part that leads to tragedy? Be sure to use examples from the play to support your thesis.

7. Analyzing the text, find examples in which the characters' poor decisions lead to the tragedy. What better decisions could Lord and Lady Capulet, the Montagues, the Friar, the Nurse, Mercutio, Tybalt, and of course, Romeo and Juliet have made that would have averted tragedy? You might want to use your "consequences" paper to help you on this.

8. Compare and contrast Romeo and Juliet. How are they similar and how are they dissimilar?

9. Compare and contrast any two characters in the play. How is Benvolio a foil to Mercutio? Or how is Tybalt a foil to Mercutio? Or how is the Apothecary a foil to the Friar?

10. Discuss Shakespeare's use of literary language to enhance meaning in the play. Some of the literary language you may wish to consider are: personification, metaphor, simile, allusion, imagery, apostrophe and ironic devices. How does he use these devices to: reveal character or to enhance suspense or to reveal theme or to forward the plot.


 


Monday, May 22, 2017

May 22, 2017 - May 26, 2017 Weekly Agenda for 9th Grade English


Monday, May 22nd:
Romeo and Juliet
Page 835
Let’s look at how Mercutio makes fun of the Nurse:
Vocabulary:
Hare is a rabbit
Hoar: old, frost as in white.
His hoary pate (pate is head) means his old white head, which means he is old.
Lent: forty days before Easter where one sacrifices something one likes (such as food) to honor Christ’s sacrifice for us.
Read page 836; line 161 – 182 and try to figure out Romeo’s instructions to the Nurse.
Vocabulary:
Shrive: to confess to the priest; to be forgiven of their sins
The alibi is for Juliet to go to the priest on the pretense of going to confession
What is she really going to be doing? Getting married to Romeo!
Abbey wall: the wall surrounding the church
My man: Romeo’s servant
Where will Romeo’s servant be? He will be waiting behind the abbey wall!  He will be holding a rope ladder!
Why will he holding a rope ladder?
So Romeo can climb the ladder to Juliet’s balcony to be with her on their wedding night!
“High topgallant of my joy!”
High topgallant is the ‘crow’s nest” on a ship!
This is the peak of his joy!

Act 2, Scene 5:
Juliet is waiting anxiously and impatiently for the nurse to return with the news from Romeo whether the marriage will take place.
The nurse returns and tells her – finally, after a lot of teasing – that yes, the marriage is on!!!!
Vocabulary:
Feign: pretend (pronounce like fane)
Hie you hence: get you there (hence) to the church
Safia: the Nurse was making Juliet wait for the news.
Bonus question: What does “wherefore art thou, Romeo?” mean?
Malia: Deny thy father and refuse thy name.
Safia: Why do you have to be a Montague!?

Act 2, Scene Six:
Setting: The Friar’s cell so that he may join Romeo and Juliet in marriage!
Can the heavens smile? No!
It is personification! Why?
Personification is  giving human characteristics to inanimate objects.
What is the Friar’s attitude towards the marriage?
Carolina:
Friar, “These violent delights have violent ends.”
He has misgivings that this relationship, which started so quickly and passionately, will last.

Act Three, Scene 1
Page 845
Look at lines 5 – 9 and 15 – 29, Mercutio’s speech.
Can you find one silly example Mercutio gives about  Benvolio provoking fights?
What happens in this scene?
Safia:
At the beginning of the scene, Mercutio and Benvolio are joking around as they always do. However, Benvolio, always cautious and wanting to avoid fights, says that it is hot, the Capulets are out and about spoiling for a fight, and that they, He and Mercutio should “lay low.”
That is about the time Tybalt shows up and begins to insult Romeo in front of Mercutio.
Tybalt is so angry that Romeo crashed the Capulets’ party he sent him a letter challenging him to a duel!  
However, Romeo and Juliet just got married a few minutes ago, but nobody knows this except the Friar  and the Nurse! Now, Romeo is related to Tybalt, who is Juliet’s cousin!  This is why Romeo does not want to fight Tybalt! This infuriates Mercutio because he thinks Romeo is being weak by not defending himself from Tybalt’s insults,  so he steps in to defend Romeo’s honor. Romeo steps between Tybalt and Mercutio to keep them from fighting, and this causes Mercutio’s death.
Even as Mercutio is dying, he is making jokes.
None of the young men thinks he is hurt and they are laughing at his jokes – not realizing that his life is quickly ebbing from him.
How many times does Mercutio curse the house of both the Montagues and the Capulets?
The Elizabethans believed that the curse of a dying person held special weight and power.
After Tybalt kills Mercutio what happens next?
Tybalt runs off because he knows he killed Mercutio, thus putting into effect the Prince’s ban on street brawling.
Tybalt runs back to fight Romeo.  Why does he do this?
Safia and Malia:
He doesn’t want to seem like a coward!
He remembers he has challenged Romeo to a duel.
Romeo, enraged that Mercutio, his best friend, has been killed by Tybalt, kills Tybalt.
Romeo avenges the death of Mercutio by killing Tybalt.
What does Benvolio tell Romeo to do? To run and hide!!!!!
What happens next?
Everybody starts piling into the streets to find out what’s going on!
The Prince shows up.
What does Benvolio tell the Prince?
Benvolio says Tybalt started it. Romeo tried to stop it, but Tybalt killed Mercutio, and Romeo killed Tybalt.
What does Lady Capulet say?
She says Benvolio is lying, and that it took twenty men to take down Tybalt.
What does the Prince say?
Romeo did what the law should have done, so Romeo should just be exiled. However, if he is found inside the walls of Verona, he will be put to immediate death. Romeo must leave for Mantua immediately!

Wednesday, May 24th: 
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Act 3, Scene 2
Page 853
Setting: Juliet’s room
Juliet is waiting impatiently for the night so that she might be with her Romeo!
Soliloquy is like a monologue except the character is alone on onstage speaking his or her inner thoughts.
Safia:
The nurse crying and hysterical because Tybalt is dead and was killed by Juliet’s husband, Romeo, but she doesn’t tell Juliet that.  The nurse blubbers “He’s dead! He’s dead!”  Juliet thinks she is talking about Romeo! Juliet becomes upset! Finally, the Nurse spits out that it is Tybalt who is dead and that he was killed by Romeo.
Oxymoron: putting two contradictory words together to form a new idea, such as “dry ice”, “sweet sorrow”, “strangely familiar”, etc.
Juliet expresses her contradictory feelings about Romeo by calling him “Serpent heart, hid with a flow’ring face” (a snake’s heart with a gorgeous face), “fiend angelical” (a demon angel).
When the Nurse says that “shame should come to Romeo”, Juliet becomes angry and begins to defend him.
Juliet soon realizes that had Romeo not killed Tybalt, then Tybalt would have killed Romeo. 
But the she realizes that Romeo has been banished, which is as if the world is dead – father, mother, Juliet, Romeo, the Nurse – all dead.
When Juliet says, “Death, not Romeo takes my maidenhead”, the Nurse realizes Juliet may be contemplating suicide. The Nurse promises Juliet that she will unite her with Romeo tonight. She knows where Romeo is hiding and will take him to Juliet tonight!

Act 3, Scene 3:
Setting: Late afternoon of the same day in the Friar’s cell.
What state is Romeo in?
Gina:
Romeo is on the floor
John:
And Romeo is ranting about being banished!
And Romeo is threatening suicide.
What does the Friar say to him to calm him down?
He was as if dead before he met Juliet; now he is alive and happy! You should be happy!
If you hadn’t killed Tybalt, Tybalt would have killed you! You should be happy!
 Who knocks on the door?
The Nurse
What decision does the Friar make?
Read page 863; line 146 – 158


Hellen:
The Friar tells Romeo to go to Juliet to comfort her.  He needs to leave Verona before daybreak to Mantua.
Meanwhile, the Friar will wait until everything calms down and then he will reveal their secret marriage and Romeo will be welcomed back from Mantua, the lovers united and the families will live in peace together

Act 5, Scene 5:
Setting: Capulet’s mansion late at night!
What is the mood of the family?
Danny:
The family is very sad because Tybalt is dead – killed by Romeo.
Does Capulet seem very upset over Tybalt’s death?
Samantha:
Capulet seems indifferent.
Textual Evidence: He says that we’re all going to die.
Capulet offers – out of the blue – Juliet’s hand in marriage to Paris.
It is Monday night – twenty-four hours after Juliet and Romeo met and about fourteen hours after their wedding!!
Capulet sets the wedding for Thursday.
It will be a small affair because he doesn’t want people to think he doesn’t care about his nephew’s death by throwing a huge wedding three days after Tybalt’s death.
He tells Lady Capulet, before she goes to bed, to knock on Juliet’s door to tell her she is getting married in three days!
Rachel: This is called dramatic irony because the parents don’t know Juliet is already married AND Juliet is RIGHT NOW UPSTAIRS WITH HER HUSBAND, ROMEO, who is a MORTAL ENEMY OF THE FAMILY!!!!!!

Friday, May 26th: 
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Friday, May 26th:

3rd Period:



Arts Integration
What is internal conflict?
Have you ever experienced an internal conflict?

An internal conflict is the psychological struggle a literary or a dramatic character experiences, which creates the suspense of the plot. Will she or won’t she resolve the internal conflict?

Many times the internal conflict is between what the character wants to do and what the character thinks she or he should do.  Sometimes the character isn’t sure what she or he wants. This conflict drives the dramatic action of the plot. The plot isn’t resolved until the character resolves the conflict.

What is an external conflict?

An external conflict is a conflict a literary or dramatic character is experiencing with an external force, such as nature, another person, society, a machine, or the supernatural. This conflict drives the dramatic action of the plot.

Can anyone share an example of an external conflict?

Vocabulary:
Beckoning: to summon somebody or to ask someone to come with them.


Students read scenes 6 and 9 between Doloris, Mary Robert, and Mother Superior:
Deloris:
Malia
Mary Robert:
Maricarmen
Mother Superior:
Itzel
Eli:
Eddie  
“Taking Center Stage”
“On the Surface Description of Your Character”
Mary Robert: Shy in the beginning, obedient, Catholic, young, hasn’t experienced very much of life
Pair/Share
Discussion
“Questions to Ask Characters on the ‘Center Stage’”
1.     What do you do?
2.     How old are you
“Under the Surface Questions”
1.     When did you receive your calling from God?
2.     Why do you love God?
3.     Why did you choose to be a nun?
Discuss the internal conflict.
Listen to the song “The Life I Never Led”

Character Map #2
Character:
Traits and Evidence:
Trait #1: Shy/Innocent
Trait #2: Obedient
Evidence:
“I’ve never been kissed.”
“I’ve never asked questions and taken a dare.”
“And all of the feelings unspoken,
And all of the truths unsaid
They’re all I have left
Of the life I never led.

Evidence:
“I’ve always obeyed.”
“I’ve always prayed as you’ve prayed.”
“I’ve never rebelled.”
“I’ve never sat down when told to stand straight.”

Trait #3: Passionate/Adventurous/Curious
Gina: “Then I want to go with you!”
Jasmin: “It’s time I start living the life I’ve never led.”
Carolina: “Now that you’ve given me one little taste of it,
And now, now that I know what I know,
Well, how, how can I go on ignoring the waste of it?”
Carolina: “I’ve never quite realized
Just how much I’ve missed…”
Hellen: “I’ve never let go
And gone with the flow
And don’t even know, really, why…






  
Internal and External Conflict Worksheet
Give an example of a character from the scene with internal and external conflict from the text:

Internal Conflict #1: Mary Robert is debating whether to leave the Church and go with Deloris or stay. (Internal conflict)
External Conflict #1:When Mary Robert defies the Mother Superior by saying no to her when she says Deloris has to leave! (External conflict)`
Citation or Textual Evidence:
“They all know where they belong
They all received their calling
But maybe this life is not for me…”
Citation or Textual:
Mother Superior, “…So I must ask you {Deloris} to leave. For their sake.”
Mary Robert, “No!”