Poe and King

Good morning,
Stephen King is often considered the modern equivalent of Edgar Allen Poe. In may ways these authors are similar.
Your assignment: In your English Journal write a 3-4 paragraph short essay about the ways Poe and King are similar. Remember to include examples from the works we have read by both authors. 300 words should do it. Don't get into their differences. Focus on similarities.

Have a great break and think about the piece of fiction you want to write in January.

Stephen King

Good morning,
Good work on your Poe analysis yesterday. Today we move on to one of Poe's most famous literary descendants. No, they are not actually related (as far as I know), but Stephen King's writing shares many of the features that Poe has in his writing. Watch for the similarities.

We will begin with a presentation about Stephen King. After the group presents please use this link to evaluate their presentation.

Stephen King's work is still copyright protected and thus it is not freely available on-line. We will read the screenplay "Sorry, Right Number" from the book. You will need your English Journal for notes.

Themes and Features in Poe's Writing

Good Morning,

Today we will look at the themes and features common in the works of Edgar Allen Poe. A theme is a large idea that can appear over and over in many different texts. A feature is a specific literary device, setting, object or character that an author uses. We will discuss this more in class.

You will work with your writing group to find examples of both in Poe's works and submit your findings to me through a form. Please have only one person submit the form, but you should all be actively searching out quotes and writing explanations about your findings. You may wish to use e-mail to send what you wrote or found to the person working on the form for your group.

Link to the form: Themes and Features in Poe's WritingHint: Use links in earlier blog posts to find the on-line versions of what we read.
Yes, this is due today.

Absent students: You may work by yourselves and submit your own form. Please note that in the space for group names.

Monday again...

Good morning,
My voice is going and I won't be speaking much today if at all. Today we will finish our reading and annotation of "The Fall of the House of Usher" When the story is done you have several things to check on.

1. Make sure your annotated version is shared with me. This is crucial for your grade.
2. Make sure your annotated version is complete. If you missed a day of the reading go back and add notes for what you missed. You may check with someone else in your group if you need help with this.
3. Open your English Journal and answer the following questions:
   
1. What thoughts or unanswered questions about what happened in the Usher house still linger in your mind?
   
2. How did Rodrick Usher's state of mind influence the narrator?

If you have finished that or if you need a little extra support. You can check out the Spark Notes about "The Fall of the House of Usher".
Note: Teams working on presentations on Stephen King you will present tomorrow, Tuesday 12/16.

Don't forget...

Great job with the Poe story today everyone. It worked much better with you sitting in groups. If you are missing some notes on the story ask someone else in your group to share theirs with you.

If you were absent Monday please take the Poe quiz from that day. It's not hard.

Good morning,
You have a new doc shared in GD. It is a template for annotating texts. (That means putting notes on the side.)

1. You will open that template, make a new copy, rename it and share it with me.
2. Then you will go get a copy of the text we are reading today and paste it into your very own text template.
3. After you paste it highlight the entire text and click the numbers button. I will show you.
   

While we read the story you will make your own notes about what is going on at the side. This is similar to what we did together for "The Masque of The Red Death" only now you are doing your own notetaking as we read.

The story we will start today is The Fall of the House of Usher by Poe. << style="display: block;" id="formatbar_Buttons">

Monday Monday, so good to me

Ok, full disclosure, the title of this post comes from a song by The Mamas and the Papas. (For the full lyrics check out this site, but do it later. I said later.) There is another similar line in the song that says, "Monday, Monday, can't trust that day." People quote that one all the time and I almost did too, but then I looked up the lyrics to link to for you and I decided to go with the more positive, "so good to me". Be good to each other.

Notes:

1. It is Monday

2. There was another tragic shooting this weekend and a PLHS freshman was killed.

3. Our world is a dangerous place.

4. You still have a quiz today, but I made it really easy.

To do:

1. Click this link and take your quiz.

2. Go to your English Journal and write. Write about whatever you want, whatever you're feeling or whatever you want to say, but can't say out loud. Poetry works too.

3. Go read the rest of those song lyrics if you want to.

Good morning,

Today is your lucky day. Something came up this morning and I did not have time to finish writing your quiz, so that will have to be Monday.

Today we will read The Raven and then look at several parodies of The Raven.

Revisiting "The Masque of the Red Death"

Good morning,

Yesterday we read and annotated "The Masque of the Red Death". Today we will listen to a professional reading of the tale as you follow along on our annotated versions. You will need to click the link below to view the version for your period. This is no longer shared with you in G.D.

Period 3 "The Masque of the Red Death"
Period 4 "The Masque of the Red Death"

After the story I would like you to use the link below to write three discussion questions about the story. Write your questions carefully, because they will be on public display shortly.

Click here to submit your discussion questions.

AFTER you have submitted your discussion questions please click here.

The Masque of the Red Death

Good morning,

Today we will begin to look at the fiction of Edgar Allen Poe. Remember how fascinated you were yesterday when we were looking at sites about death. The story we read today is about the same subject.

You will need to open Google Docs and have both your English Journal and the story I shared with you open in different tabs.

I have shared the story with you as collaborators because we will be adding notes in the margins to help us work through the text. Please do not make changes to the document when you are not the notetaker.
Period 3 The Masque of The Red Death
Period 4 The Masque of The Red Death

Starting Poe

Good Morning,

Today we will begin our examination of Edgar Allen Poe. First we will hear the presentation from the Poe group. (Which you will of course grade when they are finished.)

After that you may investigate further at the sites below. One group of sites are all related to death, what it means, how different cultures view it and why it scares us. The second group of sites are more about Poe and his life. Whichever investigation you choose you will write about your findings in your English Journal.

Death
http://library.thinkquest.org/16665/cgi-bin/index.cgi
http://www.deathlist.net/
http://www.learntarot.com/maj13.htm
http://www.tdcj.state.tx.us/stat/deathrow.htm
http://www.deathonline.net/

Poe
http://www.poemuseum.org/poes_life/index.html
http://www.anb.org/articles/16/16-01302.html
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m2455/is_n2_v31/ai_15557278