Kirk SCS Class OnLine

FINAL EXAM!

2009-06-03T14:08:00.000-07:00

Your final exam will be, for the most part, a test on the Eastern lit unit we just completed. It will also include a cumulative time line and a review of major worldview terms.

TIMELINE: From Adam to Superman.

WORLDVIEW TERMS: *polytheism, *pantheism, *monotheism, *atheism, animism, agnosticism (*and be able to apply these terms to cultures we've studied this year)

EASTERN LIT SCOPE & TERMS:

Hinduism -- caste, dharma, karma, reincarnation, Brahma, Krishna, Pandava brothers, Arjuna, Mahabarata - Indian epic (Gita - holiest part)

Taoism -- the tao (the way), yin/yang, balance, pu, Tao te Ching, Lao Tzu (and Winnie the Pooh!)

Buddhism -- Zen, haiku, Noh drama, Atsumori, samurai, suffering (four noble truths), Tibetan singing bowl (the void), reincarnation, karma

The test will be on the lower and middle levels of Bloom -- I will not have time to grade essay responses on the upper level. You can count on our traditional time line format, fill-in-the-blank term ID's, possibly a worldview matching exercise, and some middle level questions that ask you to apply religious and literary analysis to your knowledge of the literature selections.

Final Book Club Questions!

2009-05-26T13:04:00.000-07:00

1) Purpose, genre and audience of the book -- did it satisfy?

2) Literary merit... look at your popcorn books if necessary, and discuss at least 6 applicable terms

3) What cultural details about a non-Western society were portrayed in the book? Please identify the culture geographically and chronologically.

4) What religious point of view was portrayed in the book? Cite some religious details to back up your ID. Use terms such as pantheism, Hinduism, Zen, etc. Please be accurate and true to the author's intentions.

5) If the main character in the book were a Biblican Christian, what might have happened differently, if anything? How would you minister to this person as a Christian missionary? What BIblical message do the characters in the book most need to hear? Please be thoughtful and specific - don't just say "Jesus."

6) Did you like the book? Why/why not? Give the book a rating out of 5 stars.

Eastern Lit Assignments

2009-05-26T12:58:00.000-07:00

1) Everyone owes me a blog on Hinduism and/or Taoism, due last week! However, I have not graded them yet, so there is some grace time... reflections on the Mahabarata and/or the Tao te Ching or The Tao of Pooh.

2) Haiku contest with free laptop prize!! Check out Scholastic. Also, thanks for your most interesting and lovely original haiku. Hope you enjoyed your Pocky prizes!

3) Your "Letter to the East" will be done in class on Friday. It will be addressed to any Eastern lit character (a Pandava brother, the Taoist master (female), Atsumori or the priest Kumagai. The first part will acknowledge similarities between your beliefs and the second point will explain a crucial difference while presenting the gospel.

Kirk's Guide for Electronic Research

2009-03-25T10:30:00.000-07:00

Googling: Limit yourself to about 15 minutes of unsuccessful Googling before giving up the hunt. Try the library or a database, or consider altering your topic/thesis. The Internet simply doesn't have everything.

Scholarly sites: Your research source must be academically up to par, reliable, and reputable. Often, this will mean an "edu" suffix in the web address. Find the author, poster, sponsor, or publisher. Go to the home page. Minimize the http. Look for universities, scholarly institutes, PhD's, etc. In film, look for film institutes or critics who discuss the literary value of films.

Commercial sites: These are not scholarly. They are for making money. They generally represent the consensus of opinion on a topic and offer nothing new or special. Some teachers will bar these sites from serious research assignments: Sparknotes, enotes, Bookrags, etc. Beware of sites with a lot of ads or with information for purchase -- this excludes subscriptions to scholarly journals of course.

Unreliable sites: blogs, forums, consumer reviews, anything written by Joe Public, or Wikipedia - which is just a public domain encyclopedia.

Databases: Go through your school or library. Nearly everything you find there will be of acceptable quality.

Documentation: Don't forget the web address and date of access. Some sites, including databases, will provide doc form for you. Use an MLA guide.

Hero Research Paper!! -- Phase One

2009-03-23T14:12:00.001-07:00

Topic: Select a hero (protagonist, in a hero cycle) from a story (not real life) who reveals something about humanity, culture, and/or worldview. Also, since this is essentially a literary topic -- we are studying stories -- you can expect to use literary terms in your discussion, for instance theme, symbolism, antagonist, character development, archetype, etc.

Sources: This being a literary topic, your sources will be literary critics. This week, we will learn where critical sources can be found in the SCS library, online, and in electronic databases. We will learn how to select valid sources and eliminate poor sources. You will find at least 2 sources on your selected topic by the end of the week.

Due: Friday 3/27 -- Phase One Thesis Worksheet

Book Clubs, 3rd Quarter

2009-03-17T10:38:00.001-07:00

Your book club should be finishing up its "club choice" reading selection. For your meeting, please discuss the following items:

1) Purpose, genre and audience of the book -- did it satisfy?
2) Literary merit... look at your popcorn books if necessary, and discuss at least 6 applicable terms
3) What is the time/cultural/religious context of the book? For instance, The Iliad was Greek @ 800 B.C., polytheistic. What clues led you to this analysis?
4) Did you like the book? Why/why not? Give the book a rating out of 5 stars.

Please pick up book club cover sheets from the "paper table." Due for Book Club Forum in class March 31, the last day of the quarter.

Middle Ages Lit Test

2009-03-11T13:04:00.001-07:00

Here is what the text will comprise:
1) history context (time line)
2) geography context
3) King Arthur legend
4) Christ figures in lit
5) Koran and Islam
6) 1001 Nights

Test date: Tuesday, St. Patrick's Day

Test will include:
lower level details from history and stories read
middle level lit term application/analysis
higher level questions of worldview significance

Assignment Update: Koran and Essays

2009-02-27T11:53:00.000-08:00

Koran: Thank you for your excellent work in reading and thinking about the Koran this week. I hope you have learned some valuable perspectives. Please blog about what you, as a Christian, learned this week. I would especially like to hear if you have picked up on any concrete reasons why you find Christianity to be more reliable or appealing.

Essay: All of you who conferenced with me this past week owe me a final critical essay draft next Thursday, before the long "snow day" weekend. Those of you who will conference next week have until the following Monday, after the long weekend.

Camelot Assignment

2009-01-29T14:21:00.001-08:00

Thank you for enduring this old-fashioned musical, actually my favorite movie of all time, Camelot. Your job is to look past the campy songs and 60's sensibility to see the depth of the human drama. Watch the actors' faces. The performances are emotionally RICH.

This movie is based on a 1950's novel, which in turn was based on a medieval book by Sir Thomas Mallory. It was, perhaps, the first real novel written in English. Indeed, the legends of King Arthur are some of the most enduring of Western culture. In class we will talk about how the legends got started and how they've changed over the years. Perhaps you have enjoyed retellings of the Arthurian legend in other films.

For your blog, please just comment on your reaction to Camelot. Talk about what you appreciated in the story and/or the performances. Talk about why the film has universal human appeal. Also, you might look for Christian significance -- what do you think the story has to say about human beings, sin, Jesus, salvation, hope, or forgiveness? Your response may be free-flowing, but it should be in reasonably good form (capitalization, etc.).

On Monday, we will likely finish up the movie and do a little creative response. I know how you love creative responses :)

Acts 17

2009-01-12T13:00:00.000-08:00

In our final bit of Hellenistic lit, we've looked at Acts 17. Please note the references to the Epicureans and Stoics as well as allusions to two Greek writers:

1) Aratus, The Phaenomena, about the stars/astrology, in which he gives an opening invocation to Zeus, saying "for we are indeed his offspring."

2) Epimenides, Cretica, a poem in which the speaker addresses Zeus:

They fashioned a tomb for thee, O holy and high one—
The Cretans, always liars, evil beasts, idle bellies!
But thou art not dead: thou livest and abidest forever,
For in thee we live and move and have our being.

One final concept to note in this passage -- Paul uses rational logic to make his point. Here's a summary of his argument, after the philosophers ask him to explain his strange stories about the resurrected Jesus:

1) We both worship a deity

(PROOF= your idols, temples, and altar to an unknown god)

2) My deity, unlike yours, does not live in a temple or need your petty sacrifices

3) My deity, like yours, determines our fates

4) My deity, like yours, created "offspring" and "lives and moves" in us

(PROOF= two Greek poets who worshiped Zeus)

5) Therefore, if Point #4 is true, then the real deity could not be a statue in a temple

6) Therefore, my concept of a deity is much stronger, and you should listen up because He is no longer putting up with nonsense and will one day come to judge us all

Wasn't Paul an amazing evangelist? He was well-read, logical, sympathetic, observant, and bold. I hope you will study and remember this passage!

January Book Club Details

2009-01-12T12:33:00.000-08:00

Book Club Discussion Guide - Christian Fiction

1) What would you say is the purpose and audience of this book? Do you think the book succeeded?

2) What about the book seems universal or archetypal? In other words, what aspects of the book might be relevant to ANY audience, not just a Christian or Western one?

3) How does this book depict classical Western themes? Here are some we've studied in our Greek and Roman literary selections: fate/providence, rationalism/logic, idealism/realism, democracy/order, etc.

4) Western culture has been profoundly influenced by Christendom. What Christian influences, ideals, or reactions do you detect in the book?

5) Consider your list of literary terms. Can you come up with a few literary observations relevant to the book? For instance, where was the climax of the story? Was there any use of symbol or motif? Last book club, everyone did climax and symbol -- this time, please branch out and use more terms! Consult your "popcorn" booklets.

6) What was the group's opinion of the book? Did you like it or not? Why? Defend your opinions.

For this Friday's book club forum, I will not talk as much as I did last time. All group members need to be prepared to do significant, meaningful talking about their book and the 6 questions. You are allowed to bring snacks to share with the class.

Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, and Stoicism

2009-01-06T10:18:00.000-08:00

Please read the first book of Marcus Aurelius' Meditations.

In class, we will view an excerpt from Gladiator, in which Richard Harris portrays Aurelius. The movie's depiction of characters is roughly accurate, but the plot is a fabrication. Wikipedia has a page that explains the similarities and differences between the movie and actual historical record.

Extra credit for those bothering to read this post: Vote in the Stoic and Epicurean polls to the right and comment on this post so I know who voted. I am checking to see if you're making use of this site!!

Snow Update!!

2008-12-18T09:43:00.000-08:00

Well, I guess your prayers are answered -- no school and a postponed essay due-date! Here's what you need to be prepared for in January:

1) Please finish the analysis of John on your own. All four analysis sheets, COMPLETED on every line, legible and thoughtful, are due on your first day back. This means you will have to activate your brainsto make some good connections between John's style and his audience/purpose. See note on John below.

2) Take the extended essay deadline as an opportunity to perfect your editing: NO spelling errors, NO apostrophe errors, and NO run-ons. Also, make sure your analysis is ARTISTIC, drawing interpretations out of the text WITH LIT TERMS. Theological and personal musings are allowed, but the ARTISTIC ones are required.

NOTE REGARDING ANALYSIS OF JOHN: I had time to mention this to 6th period, but not 5th. The word "Word" in the first paragraph of this gospel is translated from the Greek Logos. Yes, you should know what that means. I also want you to connect this word to the beliefs of the Stoics, whom we've studied in class and whom you've probably studied for Coffey. Stoicism is rather pantheistic, and the Logos is the rational, orderly "divine" principle of the Stoic universe. What John is doing in the opening of his book is to address the Stoics, the most popular Hellenistic philosophers of the day, and tell them that the Logos is a PERSON. Carry this idea through your re-reading of the text and see how John addresses the Greek thinkers of his day. Also, the use of the word "Word" here does double duty in addressing the Jews, for they would associate the Creator with a Word. Thus, John's audience is Jews and Greeks.

Intro to the Gospels

2008-12-08T14:04:00.001-08:00

"Gospel" means "good news." Christianity is the only religion with gospels in its scripture. In class, we discussed the following five issues that may be raised when studying the gospels:

1) What is a gospel? How do I read it? Is it more like a biography or a myth?

2) Why are there only 4 gospels in the Bible? Why can't I read the Gospel of Thomas alongside Matthew, Mark, Luke and John?

3) Where did the gospel information come from? Did the synoptic writers just copy one another? Were they eyewitnesses? Were they second-hand reporters?

4) Is our current copy of the gospels accurate to the original manuscripts? How does manuscript evidence for the gospels stack up to other ancient texts? (lower criticism)

5) Is the gospel material authentic and inspired? What do the "higher critics" speculate? How might a Christian respond?

Three (and only three) Ways to Quote

2008-12-05T12:58:00.000-08:00

1. The SAYS Type

Mrs. Kirk said, "You had better study your vocabulary words!"
Note the speaker, the speaker's verb, the speaker's breath (the comma), and the speaker's capitalized sentence.

2. The COLON Type

Mrs. Kirk gave our class some excellent advice: "Proofread and run spell check!"
You stand and make a complete statement and then throw your hands out in a big "ta-da." Your two hands are like the two dots of the colon. Then you present your quote.

3. The FLOWING Type

My teacher insisted that we do "slow reading with oral paraphrasing" in order to improve our comprehension.
Note how one quoted phrase has been inserted into my sentence, and if I remove the quotation marks, my sentence still looks normal.

Special Note: The SAYS type can be converted into a FLOWING type by inserting the word "that" --

Mrs. Kirk said that "you had better study your vocabulary words."
See? No comma or capitalization. More flowing.

Critical Essays

2008-12-04T13:56:00.001-08:00

"Critical" refers to judgment, and in the case of essays, we are talking about judging art. An art critic judges the quality of art. He answers the questions "Is it good?" and "What makes it good?" We will be more concerned with the latter question, because the works I've selected for us to analyze ARE UNQUESTIONABLY GOOD!

Critical essays in modern culture include movie and music reviews. Notice that these critics are experts in their field of art and they pay attention to specific artistic considerations: Music critics talk about instrumentation, rhythm, vocals, motifs, and dynamics. Movie critics talk about acting, camera work, special effects, themes, and scripting. Art critics talk about color, balance, detail, texture, rhythm, and symbolism. As literature critics, we will talk about theme, figurative language, tone, imagery, rhythm, etc. Art critics also talk about the artistic impact a piece has on its audience, which is a more subjective but equally valid type of commentary.

The best way to approach this task is to alternate between concrete details from the work and your own original, artistic commentary on those details. And, of course, you must package each paragraph with topical and concluding sentences. You will use a similar pattern in each body paragraph:

TS - CD/CM/CM - CD/CM/CM - (opt)CD/CM/CM - CS.

Also, each body paragraph will be devoted to a single artistic consideration, for instance one paragraph analyzing theme, one on imagery, and one on figurative language. Hopefully, this formula will help you write the best critique possible. As a novice critic, it is helpful to have a "recipe" like this on hand to help you organize your thoughts. I will not grade you on perfection of the formula, only on the resulting quality of writing. But trust me - the formula will be helpful.

TIPS FOR WRITING GOOD COMMENTARY:
1. Don't just re-state the CD
2. Use artistic terms like imagery, mood, theme, symbol, metaphor, simile...
3. Be artistic and interpretive. Go deep. Read some good critical pieces for inspiration, such as Sister Wendy's art critiques, other artistic analyses of Biblical texts, or just good literary essays.
4. Don't tell me the passage is good or marvelous or wonderful. Just tell me what makes it good.

Here are your topic options:
Matthew 5:1-16 (The Beatitudes)
Luke 1:39-56 (Mary's Song)
John 1:1-18 (In the beginning was the Word...)
I Corinthians 13:1-13 (Love is patient...)

Things I am allowing you to do on this essay:
1. Select your own paragraph topics. Any relevant literary concern.
2. Do one extra short "single-chunk" paragraph if necessary. Or, you can skip one paragraph for a total of 4 instead of 5. I am not as concerned with quantity of writing as I am with quality of writing. But there is a difference between concise writing and slack/skimpy writing!
3. Combine personal writing with critical writing. This means that you may refer to yourself in the first person and you may also use the commentary sentences to relate the verses to something personal.

EXTENDED DUE DATE: Wednesday 12/17

Iliad/Troy Comparison

2008-11-13T13:49:00.001-08:00

Please write a blog about the similarities and differences between the movie Troy and the epic of the Iliad. Use specific concrete details. Also, be sure to raise your discussion into a higher "Bloom" level of thinking by analyzing reasons for the differences or expressing your opinions about how the movie made changes to the story. You may also comment on how the movie genre requires a different approach to storytelling, as evidenced by the documentaries we watched on Friday. Due over the weekend, by Monday 11/17.

Mrs. Kirk's Philosophy of Teaching Writing

2008-11-03T19:58:00.000-08:00

I can summarize my philosophy of teaching writing in three words: FEEDBACK, REVISION, and ACCOUNTABILITY. Sometimes, I will have students write an entire first draft and then begin the process of feedback and revision. Other times I will divide the task into phases and provide opportunities for feedback and revision at the end of each phase.

For a personal essay, I like to have students take a blind shot at the topic before offering too much guidance. This way, their ideas might be a little more fresh and natural. For a research essay, I prefer to go in phases. Because the research process is so complicated, getting feedback along the way can prevent big mistakes. For a critical essay (analyzing literature), either way might work. I might even take a class vote!

FEEDBACK will consist of class discussion and lecture, specific comments on the graded draft, sample papers shared in class, sample papers posted on line, excerpts from books about writing, etc. Students are always welcome to see me for face-to-face feedback also.

REVISIONS are a big deal in my class. As communicated clearly to students, a B paper needs at least a 20% revision, maybe more. Even A's aren't perfect. C's should be changing at least half of what appeared on the first draft. Revision efforts should be based on specific feedback on the earlier draft as well as the general/inspirational feedback offered to the whole class. Changing a couple of sentences, fixing spelling errors, or adding an additional paragraph are not considered sufficient. "Revise" means to "see again." You need to try to "see" how your paper could go from good to superb and do whatever it takes to make that change. Good revision is not like a band-aid. Rather, it requires a little demolition before the remodeling. Parents and students should be aware that a poorly accomplished revision will result in a lower grade on the revision draft.

ACCOUNTABILITY in editing is a final element you should understand. Imagine that you are going out for a big event and you've selected the perfect outfit, had your hair and makeup done, borrowed jewelry, and even lost 10 pounds... but at the last minute you get mustard all over yourself. That's the effect of poor editing. It mars the quality of otherwise good composition. In the same way, I will deduct points off the composition grade for errors in basic editing skills: spelling, capitalization, apostrophes, title treatment, run-ons, and any other major skill we've reviewed in class. In this way, I hope to stress the vital importance of the editing process and see students take on a little more accountability in this area.

Vocabulary Root Lists

2008-10-28T12:45:00.000-07:00

Lessons 1-2
cred = believe; deus = God; divine = foretell, omniscient; theos = God; sacre = holy; sanct = holy; hiero = high and holy; pia/pie = pure.

Lessons 3-4
dox/dog = opinion; gno/gni = know; crit/cris = judge; mnem/mnes = memory; phren/fren = mind; ratio = reason; not/nos = know; sap/sag = wise; put = calculate, consider; sci(e) = knowledge, understanding.

Lessons 5-6
litera = letter; scrib/script = write; nom/nym = name; graph/gram = draw; lex/lect = word or speech; logos = word or logic

Lessons 7-8
fab = conversation, storytelling; dict = state, tell; gloss/glot = tongue; clam/claim = shout; for/forum = debate; ling = language; loc/loq = talk; verb = word

First Semester Extra Roots
a = not; hetero = different; homo = same; cracy = government; prot = first; pro = forward; epi = on; pre = before; plebe = commoner, citizen...

Lessons 9-10
geo/gee = the earth, as in the globe; terra = earth, as in the ground; humus = soil; mont = mountain; past = shepherd; rur/rust = country, as in countryside; anima = life force; ether = upper air; fan/phan = to show or appear; spirit/spiro = breath; hyper = over; vent = wind.

Lessons 11-12
ferv = boiling hot; flagr = burning; flam = flame; incend = to set on fire; caut/caust = chemical burn; pyr = fire; scint = spark; flu = flow; hydra = water; mar = sea; naus/naut = ship; pont/pons = bridge; unda = wave

Lessons 13-14
ord = order; stol = to send; regula = to rule; rect = straight, right; stell = star; ast = star; cosmo = universe; mut = change; temer = rash, reckless; turb = disorder; spers = to scatter; temper = balanced; ultima/ultra = last or beyond.

Lessons 15-16

October Book Club Meetings

2008-10-21T13:11:00.000-07:00

Your first book club meetings are almost due! We will have a full class book forum during your L.A. period on Halloween, the last day of the quarter. Therefore, the last chance for your clubs to meet would be Thursday night the 30th. Appoint a secretary at your meeting (you can switch off secretarial duties for each meeting if you wish) who will take notes as the group discusses the following questions.

Book Club Discussion Guide - Christian Fiction

1) What would you say is the purpose and audience of this book? Do you think the book succeeded?

2) What about the book seems universal or archetypal? In other words, what aspects of the book might be relevant to ANY audience, not just a Christian one?

3) How does this book depict Christian concepts? Consider the depiction of God, of sin, of hope, and of religion itself.

4) Consider your list of literary terms. Can you come up with a few literary observations relevant to the book? For instance, where was the climax of the story? Was there any use of symbol or motif? Etc.

5) What was the group's opinion of the book? Did you like it or not? Why? Defend your opinions.

At the full-class book forum on October 31st, you are encouraged to contribute snacks and hot drink mixes: hot chocolate, hot cider, tea bags, etc. I will provide hot water and cups. Also, your parents are invited and encouraged to participate in your individual book clubs - and they are free to join us in class as well. Every club that has at least one parent participant at their individual book club meeting will receive one bonus point on book club credit!

Iliad Book One Assessment

2008-10-21T13:09:00.003-07:00

This assignment is not a blog assignment. It is due on paper on Monday, October 27 as evidence that you have completed Book One of the Iliad. You have three choices:

1) Three pages-worth of high quality "Who-What-When-Where-Why-How" notes on Book One as a whole.
2) A quiz on Book One to be administered during lunch on Monday at 12:40. Don't be late.
3) Create a 2-page dramatic script or a 2-page comic strip of the argument between Agamemnon and Achilles. Include as many details behind their argument as you can, as well as a lot of good insults!

Strategy and Success Blog

2008-10-12T19:37:00.000-07:00

Well, here we are past the interim point of our first semester. How are things going? I've noticed many things about this year's sophomores: you're good natured, you're expressive, and you work well with stories. The bad news (there's always a little bad news) is that you're not testing well, and there seems to be some problems with reading/studying habits. I'd like to work with you to improve the bad news...Your assignment is to answer the following questions:

1) What do you like best about class so far? What's going well?
2) What has been your greatest disappointment so far?
3) Describe how you've studied for tests or prepared for quizzes. Give me time lengths, environment, strategy, etc.
4) Do you know if you're a visual, aural (hearing) or kinesthetic (movement) learner? Answer with a yes or no and an explanation.

BONUS: For extra credit on this blog entry, have a parent leave a comment on your post. Have your Mom or Dad describe their observations of your strengths and weaknesses in study habits and/or comments on what you are learning in class! This additional perspective will help me provide more specific class instruction in upcoming weeks.

Extra Credit Blog - Poems in Genesis

2008-09-29T14:00:00.000-07:00

We have been studying how to get more out of our favorite stories and songs by analyzing them in a literary fashion, using literary terms and noticing the piece's genre. Specifically, today, we looked at Genesis 1-3 and unlocked its structure and themes. We also noticed that it is a combination of genres: it begins with a creation poem and then (2:4) it breaks into a prose "account" of creation. We've discussed how the creation poem differs from the creation account, and how poetry asks for a different kind of reading than prose asks for. Your extra credit assignment is to identify a few more spots where the Genesis 1-3 narrator breaks into poetry - and tell me WHY you think this happens, how an elevated sense of emotion, imagery, or figurative language is called into play.

Isn't it interesting to see how a literary reading of God's word reveals so much?! I want you to learn this year that the Bible measures up, on the scale of great literature, to a level of artistry and complexity matched by no other work. The Bible is richer than Shakespeare - so, if you need a lot of expertise to read Shakespeare, you need at least as much to really appreciate the Bible. Enjoy the journey!

Top Ten Class Policies!

2008-09-23T19:18:00.001-07:00

1) Late work is accepted at 5 points off or 10% off per day, whichever is greater.
2) Cheating earns a zero.
3) Point deductions will be taken for basic editing errors, including spelling, punctuation, run-ons and fragments. One "free" basic skills mistake is granted per 3 pages of text.
4) Essay revisions count separately. Each draft submitted should be the best draft possible at that time. Each draft's grade is final. Please follow the essay format as prescribed on the classroom poster, with former drafts stapled behind the newest version.
5) Extensions are available in stressful circumstances if requested in advance of the deadline. Only emergengies will justify extensions after the due date has arrived or passed.
6) Bathroom visits during class are not allowed during quizzes/tests or lectures/presentations.
7) Absentees are fully responsible for any missed due dates, pop quizzes, scheduled assignments, notes, and lecture materials. School policy allows 2 make-up days per 1 day of excused absence. Make-up tests are subjective, which means they tend to be harder than the original version.
8) Tardies beyond 3 will earn lunch detention. Missing class repetitively for any reason is likely to impact learning, and therefore grades.
9) Concerns or objections must be raised privately and respectfully. Try to stay positive in the classroom.
10) Extra credit will be accepted only when a student has fewer than 3 zeroes for the quarter. Extra credit is not meant to compensate for irresponsibility.

Archetype Blog

2008-09-22T14:19:00.000-07:00

Please select either a folktale from your personal cultural heritage OR a movie which you might call an "all-time favorite." First, summarize the folktale or movie briefly. Next, analyze the piece for the presence of archetypes (universals). Finally, identify what is unique or culturally specific in the piece. There will be three short paragraphs. Due Monday Sept. 30.

In the Scottish folktale Redemption from Fairie Land, a young wife is stolen away from her home during childbirth. The next morning, what appears to be a corpse is discovered. However, her husband learns that the faeries have her spirit, and the "corpse" is nothing but wood. He is given instructions for how to rescue her and his infant son. He must first gain forgiveness for his wife (for telling him the secret) and then the woman's brother must wrestle her away from the fairie spirits. In the end, the woman and her newborn son are returned home.

The clearest archetype present in the tale is resurrection. The woman, although married, conveys the maiden archetype, and the husband plays her hero (monomyth). All evil takes place during the night, and goodness/realization come about in the morning, therefore illustrating a light-dark archetype. Also, the wife's ghostly form is dressed in white. Finally, the faeries function as evil tricksters, replacing the woman's body with a wooden corpse.

This tale is specifically Scottish in that the tricksters are faeries -- Scottish mythology features characters including faeries, brownies, mermaids, etc. Also, the Christian heritage of Scotland comes up in that the Reverend is the one who recognizes the evil deeds of the faeries. Often, Scottish faeries are defeated through Christian means. I wonder if the book in his pocket is a Bible, which he refuses to throw in the moat. The setting of the story is also quite Scottish (moat, bushes and brambles) and has a distinctly Scottish "feel" to it.

Archetypes: Good Dreams

2008-09-22T12:53:00.000-07:00

Archetypes are story elements -- character types and symbolic images -- that recur across time and culture. Is their presence a clue about God???

Romans 1:20 says that "since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse." We can experience the grandeur of nature and study the complexity of creation to see God's eternal power. And, perhaps, God has also written his divine nature into the heart of man.

C.S. Lewis (author of the Narnia books) believed that God imprinted humans with a divine subconscious message. In Mere Christianity, he said: "And what did God do? First of all He left us conscience, the sense of right and wrong: and all through history there have been people trying (some of them very hard) to obey it. None of them ever quite succeeded. Secondly, He sent the human race what I call good dreams: I mean those queer stories scattered all through the heathen religions about a god who dies and comes to life again and, by his death, has somehow given new life to men."

So, in summary of Lewis, we could say that God revealed his divine nature into the subconscious mind of man by (1) giving us a natural sense of right and wrong and (2) imprinting us with certain expectations, desires and hopes. We could call these "good dreams" archetypes. Archetypes include the universal expectation of a hero, the desire for light in the darkness, and the hope for triumph over death. There are many archetypes.

But let us not stop there. Let us also joyfully acknowledge that he revealed himself most specifically through his son, Jesus, who fulfilled the archetypes. Where humanity had previously been dreaming, Jesus was the dream "come true."

ARCHETYPES YOU SHOULD RECOGNIZE: monomyth, hero cycle, journey/quest, maiden, wise old man, sidekick, crone, trickster, shadow, storyteller, light/dark, colors, numbers, forest, garden, desert, snakes, birds, water, fire, resurrection

Note about character archetypes: Many character archetypes were originally expressed out of a paternalistic framework (i.e. men are heroes and mentors, women are victims and witches). Modern expressions of archetype often swap gender. This is OK!

Wordy Wednesdays Fall '08

2008-09-17T13:52:00.000-07:00

VOCABULARY SCHEDULE
KEY: L=Lesson, ex=exercises, rev=review exercises
You are not required to do exercises asking for original sentence or paragraph composition

9/17 - L 1 ex
9/24 - L 2 ex, L 1-2 rev
10/1 - L 1-2 test

10/8 - L 3 ex and know roots through L 4
10/15 - L 4 ex, L 3-4 rev
10/22 - L 3-4 test

10/29 - L 5 ex and know roots through L 6
11/5 - L 6 ex, L 5-6 rev
11/12 - L 5-6 test

11/19 - L 7 ex and know roots through L 8
11/26 - L 8 ex, L 7-8 rev
12/3 - L 7-8 test

1/7 - cumulative test on L 1-8
(no more vocab till 2nd semester)

Hero Essay

2008-09-09T12:24:00.001-07:00

This is a formal essay assignment, not a blog assignment. It will be submitted on paper, typed, labeled with your name, date, and an essay title, edited to the highest standard possible, and consisting of 2-3 pages. Save your document for future revision.

TYPE OF ESSAY: Personal
TOPIC: anything related to heroes or heroism
DUE: Tuesday 16th (any time that day)

Please be creatively open-minded about your topic. What you write needs to be personal and specific to YOU. It should be drawn on your own memories, imagination, or opinions. Don't bore me.

Examples: a memory or description of a hero in your own life, an imaginative description of the hero you would be or wish for, an introspective exploration of some aspect of heroism (self-sacrifice, being bold, etc. - check out your hero blogs for ideas). ANYTHING goes, as long as it's PERSONAL in some way.

Examples from Mrs. Kirk's friends' blogs:

Rick

Charlotte

Hero Blog

2008-09-01T22:23:00.000-07:00

You are to select a hero -- from movies, literature, or real life -- and identify its name, where it's from, and what heroic qualities it represents for you. As you complete the assignment, please sign my blog list (on the "paper table" beside my desk) so I will know where to find your work online!

Since I love books and movies so much, it's very hard for me to complete my own assignment! Two characters that come immediately to mind are Atticus Finch and King Arthur. But the one I will write about is Aslan from the Chronicles of Narnia. In reading these tales again as an adult, I find this symbolic depiction of Jesus to be emotionally grabbing as well as theologically illuminating. He is regal, wise, kind, and frighteningly fierce, all at the same time.

World History

2008-08-25T21:17:00.001-07:00

Pre- and Ancient History
4th and 3rd Mill's B.C.
oral tradition (myths, folktales)
archetypes
writing
Neolithic revolution
cultural diffusion
monotheism and polytheism

Classical History

2nd Mill B.C. - 1st Mill A.D.
rationalism

idealism / realism

democracy / republic

philosophy / atheism
Hellenism

Currently studying...

Medieval History

1st-2nd Mill A.D.
feudalism
Christendom
chivalry
Crusades / Islam
mercantilism

Renaissance

2nd Mill A.D.
rebirth / neoclassicism
humanism
secularism
exploration (Columbian exchange)
Reformation

Ascension / Revolution

Latter 2nd Mill A.D.
Enlightenment
romanticism
social philosophy (salons)
East-West connection

Book Clubs

2008-08-25T20:15:00.000-07:00

Why book clubs?
SCS has a tradition of asking students to maintain a reading habit outside of class, and this will be our format. I've chosen the club format because it's fun and realistic. Book clubbing is popular and worthwhile.

Guidelines for forming your club:
On a scale of 1-5, how serious a reader are you? As you form your club, I recommend that you team up with friends whose "serious reader rating" is near your own. Your club selections will be permanent! Also, consider where your friends live and what kinds of schedules they keep, because you will have to schedule one meeting per quarter outside of school. You are also welcome and encouraged to include your parents.

What your meeting will look like:
Plan your meeting at a member's home, a coffee shop, the library, or even a restaurant. It's a social occasion that doubles as study time! You might opt to match your event to your book, like having English tea and scones with your Shakespeare. Be creative! Your meeting must be at least one hour long, with most of that hour devoted to discussing the book. You will elect a secretary to take notes on the discussion questions as assigned (you can trade off on secretarial duties). You must use a book club reporting sheet and submit by the due date.

Grading:
Book club credit will be 30 points based on club reports. Excellent answers reflecting a lengthy, eager discussion of assigned questions will earn an A for all team members present. Accurate but short or sloppy responses will earn a C for all team members. I will not assign B's for book club -- acceptable effort will be deemed either average or superb. Furthermore, only members present at the meeting will earn credit; absentees may earn a D for having read the book but not attended the meeting. Also note that a school lunch period or study hall are not sufficient to meet the time requirement (one hour) nor is the venue sufficient to meet the requirement (outside of school).

First Quarter -- Christian fiction / Due date T.B.A.
OPTIONS: Stephen Lawhead sci-fi/fantasy novel, G.K. Chesterton Father Brown mystery or other, any 2 C.S. Lewis Narnia books, Madeleine L'Engle's A Wrinkle in Time or sequel, The Shack, any George MacDonald novel intended for adults, or Blue Like Jazz by Don Miller (not fiction, but largely narrative).

Second Quarter -- Western classics / Due Jan. 16
OPTIONS: The Count of Monte Cristo (French), Les Miserables (French), Don Quixote (Spanish), Crime and Punishment (Russian), The Lord of the Flies (English), The Once and Future King (English), A Midsummer Night's Dream (English), The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (American)

Third Quarter -- Club choice / Due March 30
OPTIONS: no adolescent lit, minimum 150 pages, fiction or nonfiction

Fourth Quarter -- Non-Western fiction / Due date June 5
OPTIONS: The 1001 Nights (Arabian), The Good Earth (Chinese/American), Iron and Silk (Chinese/American), any Amy Tan novel (Chinese/American), Pagoda, Skull and Samurai (Japanese), Siddhartha (Hindu), A Tiger for Malgudi (Indian), The Kite Runner (Muslim), A Thousand Splendid Suns (Muslim), The Alchemist (Brazilian)

Be a Better Reader

2008-08-25T11:59:00.000-07:00

If you're struggling with your reading assignments -- not doing well on reading quizzes, for instance -- then you need to stop and think about a new strategy...

TIP #1
Know your best reading pace and environment. Go ahead and give yourself a little reading test: set yourself up with a book and set the timer at 30 minutes. See how many pages you can comfortably read. Try this out with 2 or three different types of reading to see what the difference is. For instance, you might find that you can breeze through 20 pages of a good novel in half an hour, but only 10 pages of your science textbook. Also, be honest with yourself about the reading environment you need: dim or bright lights; silence, white noise, or music; cold or warm temperature; laying down or sitting up; long hauls or short sessions with exercise/snack breaks; reading aloud or silently. Know yourself and plan well for upcoming due dates.

THE "SLOW READING" TECHNIQUE: We've been modeling this in class and quiz scores are going up! Simply read one sentence at a time and then paraphrase it, incorporating any available footnotes into the paraphrase and avoiding any pronouns (say the characters' names). For aural learners, this should be done aloud. If this pace is a little too slow for you, try one paragraph at a time.

TIP #2
Know something about genre and audience. As already mentioned above, your reading speed may vary for different types of text. Indeed, different types of text will demand different skills in comprehension, interpretation, and recall. Get in the habit of recognizing the genre of your reading material before you begin reading it: factual versus imaginative, narrative versus nonfiction, written text versus performed text, poetry versus prose, etc. You should also know a bit about the intended audience of the text. Was it written for your age group? Was it written for a foreign culture? Was it written for a past time period? All these issues will impact the difficulty of what you're about to read and how you should "angle" yourself to receive its message clearly.

TIP#3
If you're reading narrative, your job is to get to know the characters and find out what they did and why. A great way of making sure you're following the most important points of the story is to write down a "Who-What-When-Where-Why/How" summary after each reading session you perform, perhaps after every chapter. At the very least, keep a "Who" list of character names and ID's. The"What" segment will be plot summary. The "Why/How" part gets you thinking in a higher Bloom level, which is the ultimate goal for readers. You might do a "WWWWWH" list at the end of each reading session. If you're a visual learner, keep it especially neat and organized.

TIP #4
If you're reading prose nonfiction, your job is to get new information "filed away" into your brain so that you can access the "files" later.
1)Look for new terms. Consider underlining or highlighting them.
2) Look for "chunks" of information. Group your notes into categories on the page so it feels like you're learning 3 sets of 5 facts rather than 15 unrelated, rambling facts.
3) Look for ways the book emphasizes information - repetition, bold text, etc. Underline or "star" these ideas in your notes. The beginning and ending ideas of the chapter or essay might also be clues to emphasis.

TIP #5
If you're reading something poetic, you must prepare your brain cells for imaginative and artistic thinking. How do you know it's poetic? It might look like poetry, with short lines and patterns. It might sound like poetry, with repetition and alliteration. It might feel like poetry, with a focus on the senses, particularly images. And it might "think" like poetry, if the statements can't be properly understood in a literal way. Once you've recognized your text as poetic, you must open the door to figurative interpretations. You should also consider reading the text aloud, letting your voice shape the words in a musical, emotional way. Where poetry is concerned, art and imagination are central to "getting it."

TIP #6
If you are not the originally intended audience, you must give the text some extra time and some extra context. In reading Shakespeare, recognize that you are living 400 years down the road, and you will need footnotes along the way. In reading the New Testament, find out something about the churches to whom the apostles were writing. In reading foreign literature, learn something about what the target culture expected in a work of literature. It will take some effort to get yourself into a place where you're ready to receive the "gift" originally wrapped up for a different "recipient."

TIP #7
Beginnings and endings are big keys to meaning. Regardless of what type of text you are reading, review the introduction and conclusion before you close the book. In the first and last words of a complete work of literature, you might find main ideas, point of view, important images or motifs, central themes, or implied instructions to the reader. ALSO: When you need to skim your reading, the best speed strategy is to read the first and last sentences of each paragraph.

TIP #8
If you feel like you are struggling as a reader... you might want to supplement the above methods with some learning-style strategies. For instance, a visual learner could make a chart or re-copy notes with colors and illustrations. An aural learner might need to read text and notes aloud, do slow reading out loud, or summarize what you read to a partner; you could also read along with a recording of the book, if available. Kinetic learners might respond well to rhythmic repetition or an active study technique like using flashcards; you should also get a little exercise before reading (to avoid feeling fidgety) and break your reading sessions into 20-30-minute chunks with movement or snack breaks. Every brain has the capacity to read!

Stories and Songs Around the World

2008-08-18T15:52:00.000-07:00

Why focus on "stories and songs" in a world lit class? Because human beings have been telling stories and singing songs since the beginning. I imagine Adam told bedtime stories to Cain and Abel...

"Boys, did I ever tell you about the day I tried to come up with a name for Elephant?"
"Aw, Dad, not that one. Tell us the scary story again, about the snake!"
"And how God told you he would send someone one day to come back and crush his head!"

And then Eve would come in the cave and sing them to sleep. Perhaps it went something like this...

"In the beginning, God made the earth,
and it was good,
and it was good."

Seriously. Look at Genesis One and see if you don't find all the elements of a good song: rhythm, repetition, imagery, mood... it has a good beat and you can dance to it!

Literature came into being as soon as human beings learned to talk. In fact, the first words uttered by humankind in the Bible -- when Adam first sees Eve -- well, they are a poem. Take another look. It's not a simple statement of fact; it's artfully repetitive, richly emotional. I can almost hear Adam gasp with amazement and love. Yes! The first love poem!

As students of world literature, we start at creation and branch out from the cradle of civilization, geographically and chronologically tracing the stories and songs of early man. Our first stopping point will be the Sumerian epic of Gilgamesh, written down even before Genesis was. Then, on to praise songs of the Egyptians and myths of the early Greeks. We travel around the world to sample Middle Eastern folk tales and Asian wisdom poems. From each culture, we will select stories and songs that let us know what was going on in the minds of past cultures. How were they similar to us in their humanity? How were they different from us in their lifestyle and beliefs? Why does every culture on earth seem to tell stories of great heroes and sing songs of great yearning?

The proposition of this course will be that God designed it that way. God himself is the master storyteller, the "author of our faith." Did you know that more than 75% of the Bible is narrative? And, God is also the supreme poet. The most powerful passages in Scripture have poetic elements, rendering them with a higher purpose than simple everyday utterances. Even non-Christian scholars are amazed by the unity, complexity, and artistic excellence of the Bible. It is my central goal in this class that we inspire young people to sit up and take notice of the spiritual power of literature, as a reflection of the character of God. In doing so, we will see the beauty of God's Word, the power of the Christian story, and the importance of using language to God's glory. I invite your prayers as we explore the divine magic of stories and songs together in 10th Grade World Lit... hopefully it will become a lifelong habit.

Worldview Analysis

2007-08-03T21:33:00.000-07:00

1) GOD & THE UNIVERSE
What power is in control of the universe? Was it created? Is it governed by chance, fate, human choice, a higher power, providence, gods/God...?

2) HUMANITY & IDENTITY
What is the nature of a human being? Are we material, spiritual, or dual? How much power do we have over our own universe? Are we innocent or guilty?

3) CONFLICT & SUFFERING
What is the nature and starting point of human conflict? Why is the universe flawed? What are the flaws?

4) HOPE & REDEMPTION
What is the answer to the human struggle? How are we doing? Where do we find our hope for tomorrow?

5) VALUES
How does one find value in life? What personal, relational, and public values can be identified for living well? What is good and what is bad? What do we prize and what do we fear?

6) TRUTH & REALITY
What is true? What is real? Is there absolute truth? How do you know? Can you articulate it? Are your words reliable?

Christian: God as sovereign creator and trinity; humans made in his image but fallen into sin; suffering arising from man's attempt to be his own god (Lucifer's lie, the Fall); all hope is found in the death and resurrection of Jesus; values of peace, joy, hope, faith, and the "greatest of these is love"; truth revealed in creation and through God's inspired Word.

Secular Humanist: No God, material universe; humans are highly evolved animals; conflict arises in quest to survive; hope in being "fit" to survive and progress/evolve; values of survival for the individual and the herd; truth is material and scientifically verifiable.

Cosmic Humanist: God, if It exists, is a cosmic force; the universe and its inhabitants are spiritual,interconnected and evolving; suffering comes from disconnection and stagnance; hope is in spiritual awareness, community, progress; values of open-mindedness, confidence, charity; spiritual truth looks different to different people and its expression is subjective.

Muslim: God as One soverign creator (no trinity); humans are created for submission; conflict arises within the absence of submission; hope is in the grace of Allah, for those who submit; values identified in the Five Pillars, including obedience and charity; truth revealed in creation and through Muhammed in the Koran.

Pre-Modern: Spirits and gods control the world; humans intermingle with gods and spirits; suffering comes from displeasing the gods/spirits; hope is in earthly glory and sometimes glory in the afterlife; values are in obedience to tradition and ritual; truth is revealed by the gods/spirits.

Post-Modern: Who knows if there's a God? Humans exist; suffering comes from not knowing who you are or what to believe; hope can come in making a leap to identity and faith, or just giving up and laughing at it all; value anything that makes you feel better; truth isn't knowable or expressable, and words are stabs in the dark.

(Modern = humanist)

Worldview in Literature

2006-03-01T17:48:00.000-08:00

Worldview, simply put, is one's view of the world. It means basically the same thing as a philosophical perspective or, more specifically, a religious outlook. Of course, not all people are "religious," but the core principle of a person's worldview is belief in God, a higher power, or some other controlling force. From this religious core grows perspectives on the nature of mankind, on social and personal values, and on one's hope for the future. For instance, an atheist believes than mankind must be analyzed as a highly evolved animal whose hope is built on the potential for progress. By contrast, a Christian believes that mankind must be viewed as a creature made in the Image of God but fallen away from Him, with hope solely in His redemptive power. Thus, all worldviews - even the non-religious ones - have a religious axiom at the center.

So what does worldview have to do with literature? In fiction particularly, an author projects a worldview upon the creative universe of the story. Of course, any writer could envision and experiment with a fictional universe contrary to his own personal worldview, but this is not often the case. Most of the time, a artist's expressions pour honestly out of his own experiences, observations, and philosophies. For instance, Mark Twain's novels portray a world operating within a humanistic worldview. George Lucas's films portray a universe that pulses with cosmic humanism. And Tolkein's work demonstrates, within a fantasy setting, solid principles of a Christian worldview.

The benefits of analyzing literature for worldview are broad, particularly for the Christian student who desires to see the world clearly and interact meaningfully. By identifying the worldview of fictional settings, one gets practice in spotting worldview issues in the real world. We Christians become better at recognizing unBiblical beliefs lurking within the folds of overtly Christian worldview frameworks (all too common in this pluralistic society). We become more sensitive to the reasons why others do not see the same God we do or value the same morals we do. Along the arc of a story, we experience catharsis as the characters journey through life in search of truth. We identify with the universal search for meaning... the search for a worldview.

In order to analyze and discover the worldview behind a work of literature -- fiction, non-fiction, prose, or poetry -- one must consider the controlling force of the setting, the celebrated values of the situation, and the tone of the author toward central religious themes, among other concerns. It is helpful to research the author's life and, if possible, locate a primary source in which the author speaks directly to worldview issues, for instance published journals, letters, essays, interviews, or speech transcripts.

One classic example of the importance of worldview in understanding a work of literature is the genre of tragedy. In its original Greek form, it was designed to explore the darker side of human reality, that mankind is subject to the will of the gods and the whims of fate, that we are flawed, and that suffering is inevitable. In the context of the pagan tragedy, life is a game of luck, ingenuity, and pandering to the whims of the gods. However, when the Renaissance resurrected the genre in the new context of Christendom, the tragedy changed profoundly. Reinterpreting its pagan prototype, the Christian tragedy explored the darker side of humanity, the will of God, human fallenness, and earthly suffering. The difference in worldview does in fact make all the difference, for the tragic hero can be redeemed. Through the tragic outcome of the hero's misdeeds, the surrounding characters too can be saved by Grace. At the end of Shakespeare's Hamlet, although our protagonist dies, he does so by uttering and receiving forgiveness and trusting his fate to God; he has come to see his tragic sins for what they are, and because of that fact he is able to see God's "providence in the fall of a sparrow." The catharsis becomes redemptive when the worldview is Christian.

Now I must point out the stark difference between worldview criticism and Biblical criticism. In the former, the analyst looks for authorial intent. In the latter, the analyst superimposes a Christian interpretation upon the work, regardless of the inherent worldview. Take Jack London's wolf novels for example. London was an avowed atheist, and the worldview of his novels is distinctly humanist/naturalist. Even his protagonists are wild animals, illustrating the essential animal nature of humanity. However, one can perform a Christian reading of the novel, pointing out the truth of the fallen world as illustrated in the cruelty of the antagonists. Even more importantly, Biblical criticism looks for themes of redemption; in London's White Fang, sacrificial love redeems the wolf from the bondage inherited from nature's harshness and humanity's sin. London had no intention of celebrating Christ, but if his story projects life truth, then that truth may be taken captive by Christian thinking. If the situation and character ring true, then that "truth is God's truth."

Likewise, other schools of criticism project their worldviews upon literary works. Although Shakespeare's plays are culturally Christian, one can project Freudian concerns upon them for a humanist reading of the tale. The postmodernist can "deconstruct" the text to arrive at a conclusion of reckless subjectivity. Thus, most modern literary criticism seeks to explore old literature from a new angle, whereas traditional criticism is more concerned with historical context and authorial intent. And let us always remember that a Biblical critique of a nonChristian work is indeed one form of new criticism. Worldview analysis, like traditional criticism, takes historical context and authorial intent into serious consideration in the process of trying to identify the work's worldview -- and in today's pluralistic world, that process is highly valuable. Worldview analysis, then, is just a new layer to age-old tradtional criticism. A new layer with profound meaning for the Christian thinker.

How to Write a Thesis Statement

2006-02-15T10:15:00.000-08:00

Thesis statement complexity can be tailored to the level of the student, but the basic formula is always the same:

THESIS = topic + opinion

For young students, this can be as simple as "Cats are the best type of pet." If a middle schooler, for example, is asked to write a thesis about a work of literature, he might say something like "This story illustrates the themes of temptation and choices."

Many teachers like to use the thesis itself as an aid for organizing the entire paper, requiring students to tack on two or three reasons for their opinion. Those two or three reasons will be the basis for two or three body paragraphs:

THESIS = topic + opinion + reasons

Example: "Cats are the best pets because they don't eat much, keep themselves clean, and keep you company in the house."

Indeed, it is much harder to formulate a body-paragraph structure without this 2- or 3-tiered approach to thesis writing, making this formula especially useful in grades 7 through 9. Higher grades need to move into more sophisticated formats.

The next level of thesis development adds in a deeper, more interpretive level - one that answers the question "how?" or "why?" in response to the opinion.

THESIS = topic + opinion + how or why

This model is best applied to assignments that require higher levels of thinking, perhaps history or English classes. For instance:

"The Roman Empire fell to the widespread invasions of barbaric tribes [why?]because the Roman forces had become too thin and disunified across Europe."

"'The Raven' establishes a dark mood [how?] with its use of morbid imagery and haunting sound patterns."

Requiring this level of thesis development is the first step towards sophistication. The "how" or "why" aspect of the thesis can, if desired, be presented in a 2- or 3-tiered fashion, as with the previous model.

In the English class, a final level of interpretation can be added to the formula:

THESIS = topic + opinion + literary reasoning

This is essentially the same thing as a "how" or "why" element, but it is focused specifically on the task of literary analysis. For this element, students should use one or more literary terms to back up their opinion, showing how the author's literary skill created a work from which their opinion could grow. The above example about "The Raven" does just that. Here is another example:

"In Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare portrays a theme of fate [...and the literary reasonong is...] through plot events as well as character speeches that allude to fate, destiny, and coincidence."

This final level of thesis development can be applied to any discipline that requires an opinion to be formed on the basis of reading. Students must be taught in a truly inter-disciplinary fashion which stresses the application of "literary reasoning" to ANY reading text, from classic literature to historical accounts to editorial letters.

Once the student has progressed to the highest level of thesis writing, he is then ready for an advanced approach to inductive or deductive argument structures.

Developing a Writer

2006-01-24T17:42:00.000-08:00

In working with middle and high school writers over the past 12 years, I have developed a step-by-step process for building writing skills. Each step is labeled with a rough grade-level application.

I. Paragraph structure (grades 2-6)
Elementary school prepares students to write well-shaped paragraphs with topic sentences, supporting details and concluding sentences. This BEGINNING-MIDDLE-END format will stay with the student FOREVER!

II. Essay structure (grades 6-9)
The best place to start teaching students about full essay structure is to present the classic five-paragraph essay. The essay is an expanded form of the beginning-middle-end paragraph formula taught in earlier grades: a topical paragraph, supporting paragraphs, and a concluding paragraph. The thesis statement should appear at the end of the introductory paragraph and identify not only the topic of the essay but the writer's point of view on the topic. In the early phases of training, teachers might opt to write thesis statements for students.

III. Thesis development (grades 7-11)
Once students recognize the role of the thesis statement and have successfully composed their own simple statements, they are ready to work on more sophisticated statements. One option is the three-tiered format in which the thesis previews the three points of the three body paragraphs. Another more challenging option is to require a "how" or "why" element to the thesis. Advanced Placement students (and others) need to learn to write theses that provide direct answers to prompt questions.

IV. Specialized formulas (grades 7-12)
Certain types of writing genres will require special approaches to structure. For instance, journalism requires an inverted pyramid approach. Science papers may need to follow the scientific method. Literary analysis, which is particularly difficult for some students, can be made easier with a formula such as Jane Schaffer's model. Research papers pose the highest level of challenge, as they require not only good organization but an artful blending of original and borrowed ideas, not to mention strict adherence to citation rules.

V. Inductive and Deductive patterns (grades 11-12)
The five paragraph format is an inductive pattern of discussion, as are most essay formulas I've encountered (including Schaffer). Students need to be taught the difference between inductive and deductive structure and specifically trained in how to do the latter. This should take place in the context of a unit on argumentation/persuasion. Advanced essays usually function better with a deductive structure, because they allow for the development of sophisticated arguments. (See my "Inductive and Deductive Writing" post for explanations and examples of each.)

VI. Improving Fluency (grammar grades 1-10, fluency training grades 7-12)
This "step" is listed last, but it is often an ongoing element of instruction for students who have challenges in writing smooth, artful sentences. I believe that the core of fluency instruction is grammar; thus, early grades must teach basic sentence structure concepts and usage rules. Once a student has a basic understanding of the way parts of speech work and how sentences function, then the teacher can specifically target the craft of sentence writing. My technique begins with verb exercises, moves through issues of wordiness and patterning, and concludes with lessons in variation. Fluency challenges are the hardest issues to tackle in student writing, as they reflect a person's natural propensity for language, not just the amount of knowledge acquired in school. Often, fluency aptitude is parallel to one's reading frequency - the more you read, the more your brain has a chance to develop its language functions in grammatical and artistic patterns. Increased reading and regular exercises in sentence composition can reap rewards in the long term.

Inductive and Deductive Writing

2006-01-10T15:01:00.000-08:00

The Inductive Essay
"Inductive" logic "flows towards" a conclusion. I like to picture it as a horizontal movement, in which the speaker is leading the audience along a thoughtful path of reasons towards a rational conclusion - I call inductive logic a "row of reasons." An inductive essay usually presents the thesis up front and then provides categories of support for that thesis. Most five-paragraph essays are inductive. The "Analysis Man" model is inductive.

Sample Inductive Essay Structure:
1. I believe in God (thesis)
2. There seems to be a spiritual aspect to life that can't be explained through naturalism (first reason)
3. The fulfilled prophecy of the Bible provides convincing evidence of God (second reason)
4. Some of the best thinkers of the world have argued well for the existence of God (third reason)
5. Therefore, belief in God is a rational choice and I choose to believe (conclusion)

The Deductive Essay
"Deductive" logic "flows down" from its premises. In other words, if the premises of a deductive argument are true, then the conclusion must also be true. Deductive logic works itself down a step-by-step path, much like a ladder; I call deductive reasoning a "ladder of logic." An essay structured deductively must start with an "easy-to-reach" first premise and then work the reader up the "ladder" to the conclusion. This is significantly harder than the categorical inductive approach. To illustrate deductive logic, I will use a classical argument for the existence of God called the cosmological argument (it is short and often debated, but it illustrates the principle of step-by-step logic well.) Note that deductive logic absolutely relies upon sequential points/premises to achieve a successful argument.

Sample Deductive Essay Structure:
1. Many people wonder if a "God" started the universe or not (thesis preview)
2. We all agree that every event has a cause and/or a causal agent (first premise)
3. If we go backwards through time, we will eventually find a first event (second premise)
4. That first event, if it doesn't have a cause, must have an agent (conclusion)
5. We can call that agent "God" (thesis)

Instructional Lists

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What I have created here should look generally familiar to any student of language art, but bears the unique marks of my own experience and philosophy of education.

The Writing Process
1. Task exploration (read, confirm comprehension; identify audience, purpose, genre of communication; brainstorm/research ideas)
2. Topic focus (narrow topic, write a thesis that is specific)
3. Content building (with thesis in mind, gather relevant ideas from brainstorming, text, imagination, or in-depth research)
4. Content organizing (outlining, formatting of paragraphs as necessary)
5. Writing (including documentation as necessary)
6. Editing, identification of challenge areas and revision
7. Publishing and progress evaluation

The Reading Process
1. "Pre-reading" never hurts. This means getting a feel for what type of text you're looking at and what type of reading skills you should employ. For instance, a pop magazine article about your favorite band will require a different kind of reading than a current events magazine article about foreign policy. You can tell the difference by looking at length, title, illustrations, etc.
2. A first reading should produce a basic comprehension and/or gut reaction to the piece. Students might need to employ a study strategy, for instance listing, highlighting, or journaling.
3. A second reading may be required for a challenging text, like poetry for instance. In this case, the reader should take one sentence, phrase, or paragraph at a time and attempt to re-state it in his/her own words. The use of dictionaries, footnotes, and discussion may be helpful.
4. Analyzing comes next. At this point, many facts and/or details have been conveyed to the reader, but they may not be particularly meaningful yet. The reader must come up with some sort of "data analysis" system for the brain in which he/she makes sense out of the reading material and internalizes it. This might involve answering questions, making lists, finding main ideas, outlining, summarizing arguments, etc. This is where teachers often spend most of their instruction time. It turns superficial reading into meaningful reading.
5. Dialogue or monologue is important for reaching a sophisticated level of understanding and appreciation of a text once reading is complete. This may occur in a formal classroom setting, alone with a journal, or among friends at a book club. Dialogue, or discussion, provides an opportunity for readers to share reactions and guide each other in their interpretation. Monologue, or independent writing, is valuable in that it forces the reader to present his/her thoughts in a coherent fashion.

Literary Analysis
1. Start by considering the "voice" of the text. What is the author or speaker saying? How is it being said? What is the mood and/or attitude? Is there a bias? What was thr purpose, and was it achieved?
2. Once you have pondered the core of the piece, its voice, you must explore its "skeleton" (or structure). Look for how the work was built by the author, the phases of development employed. See if you can label the purpose of each segment you see in the piece's structure.
3. By this time, you're intimately familiar with the piece on a literary level. You're ready to zoom in on the specific literary techniques that seem important to the work's purpose and effect: what I call its "features". A person's features - nose, eyes, lips, hair color, etc. - give that person a distinct character; literature does likewise, with "features" such as diction, figurative language, imagery, character development, irony, and the other tools of literary craft.
4. Now you've reached the "head and heart" of the work. What was its greatest impact on your thinking? on your emotions? These two "head/heart" observations may serve as a conclusion to your analysis.