Oct. 29 - Nov. 2: Animal Farm

TEST: Mon. Nov. 5 Animal Farm (100 marks - 10 matching George Orwell; 10 matching historical connections; 10 vocab. matching; 64 multiple-choice; 6 mark paragraph question).

Thurs. Nov. 2 - Fri. Nov. 2  - Animal Farm online novel / Animal Farm Audio Book (abridged) 
- Animal Farm movie

Wed. Oct. 31, 2012 - Animal Farm online novel / Animal Farm Audio Book (abridged)
Who is Napoleon?
Napoleon, a Berkshire boar, is the main tyrant and villain of Animal Farm and is based upon Joseph Stalin. He begins to gradually build up his power, using puppies he took from mother dogs Jessie and Bluebell, which he raises to be vicious dogs as his secret police. After driving Snowball off the farm, Napoleon usurps full power, using false propaganda from Squealer and threats and intimidation from the dogs to keep the other animals in line. Among other things, he gradually changes the Commandments to allow himself privileges such as eating at a table and to justify his dictatorial rule. By the end of the book, Napoleon and his fellow pigs have learned to walk upright and started to behave similarly to the humans against whom they originally revolted. Napoleon's name adds to the novella's themes of totalitarian dictators rising from a vacuum of power and absolute power corrupting absolutely. The character's namesake, Napoleon Bonaparte, forcibly took control from a weak government in 1799, installed himself as First Consul and eventually crowned himself Emperor (Wikipedia).
To understand Stalin, the historical figure Napoleon the pig is based on, view Parts 1 to 5:
Joseph Stalin: The Real History (Part 1)
Joseph Stalin: The Real History (Part 2)
Joseph Stalin: The Real History (Part 3)
Joseph Stalin: The Real History (Part 4)
Joseph Stalin: The Real History (Part 5)  

Tues. Oct. 30- Animal Farm online novel / Animal Farm Audio Book (abridged)
- Review chapter 9 vocabulary and questions.
Animal Farm Synopsis
Orwell didn't include two phases of revolution in his story. This is one example where there isn't a tidy parallel between the book and the real history of the revolution. Animal Farm seems to lump together the Russian Revolution (February 1917) and the rise of the Bolshevik party (October Revolution 1917).
Activity:
- Understand the definition of the word "propaganda" (see slideshow).
- View examples of propaganda

- Understand how propaganda is used in Animal Farm.

Propaganda and George Orwell's Animal Farm from prufrock6731

Mon. Oct. 29- Animal Farm online novel / Animal Farm Audio Book (abridged)
- Lab 120 is booked.
- Complete the online quiz (10 marks) on Its / It's / Your / You're usage.
Sign into Socrative Student. Enter classroom code 52231. Enter your full name.
- Continue reading Animal Farm to the end.
- When finished, do the online review quiz.
- Then complete your notebook chapter questions for review in class tomorrow.

Oct. 22 - 26: Animal Farm

Parent/Student/Teacher interviews: Thurs. Oct. 25 2-4 and 5:30-7:30

Fri. Oct. 26 - Animal Farm online novel / Animal Farm Audio Book (abridged)
- It's / Its and You're / Your review.
- Review the vocabulary and answers to the Ch. 7 chapter questions.
- Review the Animal Farm character comparison chart and watch the Russian - Revolution (Part 1) video.
Russian Revolution (Part 1)
What happened to Nicholas II and the Romanov family?
- National Geographic "Tsar's Family's Death."
- 2008 Russia Today news story.
- Read chapters 8 and 9.  
 
Thurs. Oct. 25 - Animal Farm online novel / Animal Farm Audio Book (abridged)
- Review the vocabulary and answers to the Ch. 6 chapter questions.
- Review the Animal Farm character comparison chart and watch the Russian - Revolution (Part 1) video.
Russian Revolution (Part 1)
What happened to Nicholas II and the Romanov family?
- National Geographic "Tsar's Family's Death."
- 2008 Russia Today news story.
- Read chapters 7 and 8.  
 
Wed. Oct. 24 - Animal Farm online novel / Animal Farm Audio Book (abridged)
- Review the vocabulary and answers to the Ch. 4 - 5 chapter questions.
- Review the Animal Farm character comparison chart and watch the Russian - Revolution (Part 1) video.
Russian Revolution (Part 1)
What happened to Nicholas II and the Romanov family?
- National Geographic "Tsar's Family's Death."
- 2008 Russia Today news story.
- Read chapters 6 and 7.  
 
Mon. Oct. 22 - Tues. Oct. 23- Animal Farm online novel / Animal Farm Audio Book (abridged)
- Review ch. 1 - 3 Animal Farm questions. 
- View George Orwell biography.  Review questions and answers.
- Continue reading to the end of chapter 6.

Animal Farm by George Orwell is a novella that can be described as a roman à clef (French for "novel with a key"), which is a work describing real-life behind a façade of fiction.
Although Animal Farm is short, it can be read and interpreted on several levels:

A "fairy tale" or "fairy story" can mean any far-fetched story that may feature folkloric characters such as fairies, goblins, elves, trolls, giants, and talking animals, and usually enchantments, often involving a far-fetched sequence of events (Wikipedia).

A fable is a succinct story, in prose or verse, that features animals, plants, inanimate objects, or forces of nature which are anthropomorphized (given human qualities), and that illustrates a moral lesson (a "moral"). Fables can be described as a didactic mode of literature. They frequently have as their central characters animals with the ability to reason and speak (Wikipedia).

In satire, human or individual vices, follies, abuses, or shortcomings are held up to censure by means of ridicule, derision, burlesque, irony, or other methods, ideally with the intent to bring about improvement.Although satire is usually meant to be funny, the purpose of satire is not primarily humour in itself so much as an attack on something of which the author strongly disapproves, using the weapon of wit (Wikipedia).

An allegory is a form of extended metaphor in which objects, persons, and actions in the narrative are equated with meanings that lie outside the narrative itself (Microsoft Encarta).

To appreciate the deeper satirical and allegorical elements within Animal Farm, it is important to have an understanding of the author, George Orwell, and the historical and political dynamics of his time.

View parts 1 -5 of George Orwell's biography and complete the questions (see Assignments and Handouts link):
George Orwell - Part 1
George Orwell - Part 2
George Orwell - Part 3
George Orwell - Part 4
George Orwell - Part 5

Oct. 15 - 18: Poetry / Animal Farm

DUE Thurs. Oct. 18: Poetry Blogs
Thurs. Oct. 18: Open-book poetry test p. 117-251

Thurs. Oct. 18, 2012 - Animal Farm online novel
- Open-book poetry test (43 marks). You can use your textbook, The Poet's Craft.
- When you finish, read chapters 1, 2 and 3 of Animal Farm.
- Complete the vocabulary and answers to the chapter questions. 


Tues. Oct. 16 - Wed. Oct. 17
- The lab is booked.
- Use this time to complete and email your blog links. See blog post examples from last week.
- If finished, start typing out your two best good copy paragraphs from your peer-edited rough copies. DUE Mon. Oct. 22: 2 typed good copies (2 x 6 marks) and four rough drafts (4 x 2 marks) Total 20 marks.

Mon. Oct. 15

- Review poetry terminology: denotation, connotation, apostrophe, alliteration, and other terms on this online list.
- Review slam poetry examples.

A Poem about hands:



- AK47 Team Poetry: This is a brilliant example of personification/extended metaphor in a poem presented at an event in Ottawa in 2009.




- Poetry has experienced a revival through the support of athletic events and teams.
 - NY Knicks Poetry Slam 09 Semi-Finalist:

Oct. 9 - 12: Poetry

Short Stories Quiz: If you missed it, you must report to AI in the library to write the quiz
DUE Fri. Oct. 12: Louis Riel Poetry questions.
DUE Thurs. Oct. 18: Poetry Blogs
Thurs. Oct. 18: Open-book poetry test p. 117-251 

Fri. Oct. 12, 2012 - Class 4 of 4 on Poetry Blogging
- Sign into your blog at Blogger.com
- Work on poetry assignment #2 - Class 4 activity.  See an assignment example below:
***Email completed blog with your full name and block in subject line.
***Paste the link to your blog in the body of the email.
- When finished, review pages 117 - 251 of The Poet's Craft textbook in preparation for the open-book poetry test next Thursday, Oct. 18.
- If you finish early, help the United Nations World Food Program feed the world by playing Free Rice.

Nature and Invention

Instructions for Drawing:
- Sign into Google Docs. Select Create New. Select Drawing.
- Click Insert. Select Text box (type or paste poem into text box)
- Add other artistic elements. When finished, click on File. Select Publish to the Web.
- Copy the Embed Code. Paste the code into your blog's Edit HTML view (at the bottom).
- Change the dimensions near the end of the code to w=450 h=400 so it will fit your blog.
- Click Publish Post on your blog. See the sample below:



Thurs. Oct. 11 - Class 3 of 4 on Poetry Blogging
- Sign into your blog at Blogger.com
- Work on poetry assignment #2 - Class 3 activity.  See an assignment example below:
- If you finish early, help the United Nations World Food Program feed the world by playing Free Rice.

People and Places

Before Two Portraits of My Mother

I love the beautiful young girl of this

portrait, my mother, painted years ago

when her forehead was white, and there was no

shadow in the dazzling Venetian glass

of her gaze. But this other likeness shows

the deep trenches across her forehead’s white

marble. The rose poem of her youth that

her marriage sang is far behind. Here is

my sadness: I compare these portraits, one

of a joy-radiant brow, the other care-

heavy: sunrise—and the thick coming on

of night. And yet how strange my ways appear,

for when I look at these faded lips my heart

smiles, but at the smiling girl my tears start.

By

Émile Nelligan (1879-1941)

Born in Montreal

Wed. Oct. 10 - Class 2 of 4 on Poetry Blogging
- Sign into your blog at Blogger.com
- Work on poetry assignment #2 - Class 2 activity. See an assignment example below:

                                         War and Hope                                             

I Hate That Drum's Discordant Sound

by John Scott

Outwitted

by Edward Markam

Although John Scott's poem "I Hate That Drum's Discordant Sound" certainly contains a relevant message about the turmoil and devastation that is brought about by war, Edward Markham's poem "Outwitted" has greater relevance to the lives of most people in the world today. "Outwitted" is a short poem with a simple message. The poem's theme of "love thy neighbour" has relevance to many kinds of relationships such as families, friendships and the workplace. Sometimes family members do not get along, and it can take months or years for them to resolve issues that have caused a "falling out." Similarly, friendships may be disrupted and later be repaired as a result of one or both parties' efforts to re-connect. Finally, workplace relationships can be restored through the efforts of a caring mediator. Even though "Outwitted" is a very brief poem, its universal theme has widespread relevance for many people around the world.

Tues. Oct. 9 - Class 1 of 4 on Poetry Blogging
- In the computer lab, set up your blog at Blogger.com (sign in with your Google Docs username and password. Do not make a new account). You can customize your blog's privacy and comment moderation settings through your Blogger Dashboard "settings" and "comments" tabs.
- Work on poetry assignment #2 - Class 1 activity. See an assignment example below:

Love and Loneliness

LOVE

LONELINESS

Love and Loneliness

(a poem with borrowed lines)

Love and loneliness are two sides of that coin called emotion

(Of course there are others such as jealousy and devotion)

Love is a sailboat on calm blue seas

With sunny skies and a warm soft breeze.

I love thee with a love I seem to lose. *

Could it really be the end of this cruise?

Now loneliness is a submarine that hardly surfaces for air

It is a child, homeless man or woman with an outcast stare.

My false friends leave me here to die alone **

Where is that coin? All I have is a stone.

In life we spin the coin:

Love - we win; 

Loneliness - we lose.

*   Line borrowed from "Sonnet 43: How Do I Love Thee" by Elizabeth Barrett Browning

** Line borrowed from "Wabanaki Song" translated by Charles G. Leland