Tao Te Ching, by Lao Tsu

Tao Te Ching, by Lao Tsu

What is "Tao"?

The idea of Tao
Common dictionary translations of Tao include: road, path, way, means, doctrine. In the Tao Tee Ching, it is generally used to indicate the unseen, underlying law of the universe from which all other principles and phenomena proceed. It is described as unnamable, unfathomable and inexhaustible. Taoists attempt to be one with this principle.

Most of the Tao Te Ching describes the Tao and its manifestations so this is the best source for more detail. Since it cannot be understood on a merely intellectual level, it is best to feel the words in the Tao as well as understand them. Don't forget that the Tao is a poem. It even rhymes in many parts in the original Chinese. This may have been to make it easy to remember for illiterate people and it may also have been to help us feel the meaning rather than seek to intellectualize it.

In China, (Tao) is pronounced "dow", as in Dow Jones Index and "doe" in Japanese. You have probably heard of it already in words like :
Judo - "soft way"
Kendo - "sword way"
Karate - do - "empty hand way"

Eastern, Western, Taoist Logic

Western society strives to find "the truth," while Eastern society is more interested in balance. Westerners put more stock in individual rights; Easterners in social responsibility.

The symbol of the Tao (above) is an affront to the idea of truth in the common Western way of thinking. White lies inside black, black inside white. They are part of one another, constantly changing (indicated by the swirling shape), interdependent. There is no clear truth and therefore opinions have little value.

A Western version might look more like this: O O White circle - black circle. Static, separate. It is hard to say how much Eastern thinking was influenced by the Tao and how much the Tao was a product of a pre-existing thought.

Science
In the last 40 years, scientists have become increasingly aware of the idea of uncertainty. Chaos Theory, Heisenberg's uncertainty principle and Fuzzy Logic all helped destroy the earlier mechanistic view of the universe, that God created a universe that ran on tightly define principles that could be measured and predicted by science.

Your Tao Tr Ching Story
HA English 9
OReilly
45 points

In groups of 2-4:
Select a poem from the Tao Te Ching
Write a short story or parable in which the moral or theme of the story reflects and supports the poem you selected
Illustrate your story
Create a poster with your story and the illustration

5 points________ Include the poem on the front of your poster.
15 points________ Include your story on the front of your poster. Your story uses proper grammar, punctuation, and mechanics, and your story supports and illustrates the Tao Te Ching poem
10 points________Include your gorgeous and appropriate illustration on the front of your poster
5 points________Include your full names and period number on the front of your poster
5 points________ Include this rubric with your full names and period number lightly taped on the BACK of your poster
5 points ________ Your poster is gorgeous. Everything is well constructed and properly glued down.

Excerpts from Tao Te Ching:

Inflexible soldiers cannot win (a victory).
And the hardest trees are readiest for an axe to chop them down
Tough guys sink to the bottom, while
Flexible people rise to the top.

-Lao Tzu



If you don't trust people,
people will not trust you.

-Lao Tzu

Clay walls are moulded into a pot,
but the usefulness of the pot lies in its emptiness.

-Lao Tzu

A good door is locked without bolt or bar, but cannot be opened.
Good binding has no rope or knots, yet cannot be untied.

-Lao Tz

Great achievement looks incomplete, yet it works perfectly.
Great abundance looks like emptiness, yet its supply is never exhausted.

-Lao Tz

The softest thing can overcome the hardest,
Formless, it can enter where there are no gaps or space.
-Lao Tzu

Heaven and Earth last and last.
Why do they last so long?
Because they are not self-serving!
-Lao Tzu

Military strategists have a saying:
"Rather than act like the lord of the manor,
I would rather behave like a guest.
Rather than advance an inch,
I would rather retreat a foot."

The point of the saying is that you should:
Advance upon them without going forward
Seize their property without even bearing arms.
Attack where there is no enemy.
Prevail upon them without weapons.

-Lao Tz

Just as activity beats the cold,
and inactivity (stillness) beats the heat,
Purity and stillness can heal the world.

-Lao Tzu



A skilful soldier is not militaristic.
A skilful soldier does not get angry.
They win but do not seek to conquer.
Such capable people are humble.

-Lao Tzu

Deal with difficult tasks while they are easy.
Act on large issues while they are small.

-Lao Tzu

Great or small,
Frequent or rare,
respond to anger with virtue.
-Lao Tzu

When you value rare things highly,
you turn honest people into thieves.

If you show people exciting things,
you will make them covetous and greedy.

-Lao Tzu

If the people are free of avarice and desire,
even the most cunning grifter has no opportunity to corrupt them.

-Lao Tzu

Intelligent people know others.
Enlightened people know themselves.

You can conquer others with power,
But it takes true strength to conquer yourself.

-Lao Tzu

If you stand on tiptoe, you'll be unsteady.
If you run with long strides you can't keep it up.
If you show off, no one will be impressed.

-Lao Tzu

Even a nine-storied terrace began with a single basket of dirt.
Even a 1,000 mile journey began as a single step.


In ancient times there were great Taoist Sages.
Their way of living was so deep, so subtle,
it cannot be directly explained.
Instead, here is how they looked . . .

. . . Polite, as if they were always a guest
Yielding, like ice that is on the verge of melting
Sincere, like an uncut block of wood
Receptive, like a valley
Opaque, like muddy water

-Lao Tzu


Heaven and earth are like a set of bellows.
Although empty, they are endlessly productive.
The more you work them, the more they produce.
The mouth, on the other hand, becomes exhausted if you talk too much.
Better to keep your thoughts inside you.

-Lao Tzu


Rare goods are merely weights that slow you down.

-Lao Tzu



A virtuous person promotes agreement.
A person without virtue promotes blame.

-Lao Tzu


Heaven and Earth last and last.
Why do they last so long?
Because they are not self-serving!

-Lao Tzu


We desire to understand the world by giving names to the things we see,
but these things are only the effects of something subtle.

When we see beyond the desire to use names,
we can sense the nameless cause of these effects.

-Lao Tzu

Great or small,
Frequent or rare,
respond to anger with virtue.

-Lao Tzu

If you don’t trust people, people will not trust you.

-Lao Tzu


Be the leader, not the Lord.
This is the Way of Virtue (Te).

-Lao Tzu


If you stand on tiptoe, you'll be unsteady.
If you run with long strides you can't keep it up.
If you show off, no one will be impressed.

-Lao Tzu

Self-righteous people will be disrespected.
Self-centred people will be unloved.
Glory seekers don't attract followers.

-Lao Tzu

Nature rarely speaks.
A whirlwind doesn't even last a whole morning.
A rainstorm starts and ends in a single day.

Such things are made by heaven and earth.
If heaven and earth can't make a storm last,
how can you?

-Lao Tzu

No disaster is worse than being discontented.
No omen (for your future) worse than being greedy.
Yet, if you can find (true) contentment, it will last forever.

-Lao Tzu

Haiku: It’s the little things that count

Haiku: It’s the little things that count
Writing a haiku: group project
HA English 9
OReilly

What is haiku?
The shortest form of Japanese poetry constructed in three lines of five, seven, and five syllables respectively. The message of a haiku poem usually centers on some aspect of spirituality and provokes an emotional response in the reader. Early masters of haiku include Basho, Buson, Kobayashi Issa, and Masaoka Shiki. English writers of haiku include the Imagists, notably Ezra Pound, HD, Amy Lowell, Carl Sandburg, and William Carlos Williams. Haiku is Japanese Buddhist poetry designed to express and create the bliss and true knowledge of the divine.

English counts syllables differently than Japanese, so the syllable rules in English are not as strict. What is important is that there is a strong contrast, a mild surprise that occurs after the first or second line. There is a kind of pause first, then a very distinct change.

How nice to take a noonday nap
Feet planted against the wall.
How cool the wall

The surprise or change occurs in this haiku after the second line. The third line is not apparently relevant. Yet the reader recognizes the connection. This change, contrast, or juxtaposition surprises the reader, and moves her into a kind of recognition, a realization of the connectness of disparate aspects of nature. This is a kind of mini enlightenment created by the poem.

Winter storm:
The peering cat
Squints and blinks

What does a winter storm have to do with a cat?
Here the change or surprise is after the first line. The writer is explaining, in the briefest possible way, that tiny moment when he feels a certain enlightenment or connection with nature. In the few seconds it takes to write a three-line poem, the writer expresses the moment when he sees truth and beauty.

Stop to smell the roses:
Haikus are usually about everyday images or sights that remind us of the special moments that we ignore. These sights snap us out of our thoughts and remind us to be alive and in the moment. In the mundane, yet somehow striking image below, the change occurs after the first line.

 Breastfeeding her baby
The mother counts
All the flea bites



Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to:

• Get in groups of four and write four poems on a theme. For instance, the theme could be the seasons, and each poem would reflect one season. Other themes include times of day, emotions, phases of life, teen years, clothes, games, friends, phases of life, etc.

• Write your poem on construction paper, illustrate with any medium: drawing, collage etc.

• Tape your four haikus together to make a large poster.

• Make sure the following appears on your poster: your names, period number and haiku theme. You may add an extra strip of paper across the top or bottom for that information.

25Participation points:
8 points_________ You have four poems about one theme. (Unless you have a smaller group due to class size.)
3 points_________ Haiku are illustrated
3 points_________ Names, period number, and theme appear on the front of the poster.
4 points_________Haikus have three lines, and there is a pause or break and a “contrasting” image. See above
5 points_________ Posters are lovely
2 points _________ This rubric is lightly taped to the back with all your full names and period number










 

Mishima Power Point

Literary devices explanation and examples

Poetry devices (a major sampling):

homoeoteleuton

Similar sound endings to words, phrases, or sentences. "Near Rhyme."

• "That’s why, darling, it’s incredible

  That someone so unforgettable

  Thinks I’m unforgettable too."

  ("Unforgettable," sung by Nat King Cole)







• "Loose lips sink ships."

  (public service ad during World War II)

• 
  

• Incredibly, wonderfully, sensually delightful. Full of love, the sky above, can't get enough, of these. What is this thing of which I speak that fills my heart with ease? I'll tell you now. It's from the cow...this lovely creamy cheese. (OReilly)







• "Crispety, crunchety, peanut-buttery Butterfinger."

  (advertising slogan for Butterfinger candy bar)

It is defined as "when several utterances (i.e., words) end in a similar fashion." The word, therefore, is larger than rhyme, but similar to it.

repetition of sound: alliteration repetition of a beginning consonant sound; assonance: the repetition of vowel sounds; consonance: the repetition of consonant sounds

Langston Hughes

Dream Deferred

What happens to a dream deferred?
Does it dry up
Like a raisin in the sun?
Or fester like a sore--
And then run?
Does it stink like rotten meat?
Or crust and sugar over--
like a syrupy sweet?
Maybe it just sags
like a heavy load.
Or does it explode?

Cha Cha Cha Changes with cheese, please, give it a squeeze...

So, so, very slimy, not sweet, sensually complete

A lust a trust I must repeat

I'm not complete, I can't go a week

without it to eat, my treat

need I repeat?

choice, cheddar, actual cheese.

ORiRi

http://www.lyricsfreak.com/d/david+bowie/changes_20036790.html

lyrics to Changes David Bowie

Parts by Tedd Arnold.

"I just don't know what's going on

Or why it has to be.

But every day it's something worse.

What's happening to me?

I think it was three days ago

I first became aware--

That in my comb were caught a couple

Pieces of my hair.

I stared at them, amazed, and more

Than just a bit appalled

To think that I was only five

And starting to go bald!"

allusion:

a casual reference to someone or something in history or literature that creates a mental picture. An allusion is like a hyperlink. Embedded in the poem is a link to another entire literary work, with all its meaning and insight. Here are more literary allusions: http://www.worsleyschool.net/socialarts/allusion/page

illusion: something unreal that one thinks is real (don't confuse)

"Siren Song"

by Margaret Atwood

This is the one song everyone

would like to learn:

the song

that is irresistible:

the song that forces men to leap overboard in squadrons

even though they see the beached skulls

the song nobody knows

because anyone who has heard it

is dead, and the others can't remember

Shall I tell you the secret

and if I do, will you get me

out of this bird suit?

I don't enjoy it here

squatting on this island

looking picturesque and mythical

with these two feathery maniacs,

I don't enjoy singing

this trio, fatal and valuable.

I will tell the secret to you ,to you, only to you.

Come closer. This song

is a cry for help: Help me!

Only you, only you can,

you are unique

At last. Alas

it is a boring song

but it works every time.

analogy or extended metaphor:

Both are comparisons. An analogy is more of an argument; in an analogy one is arguing that two things are the same, like comparing the Iraq War to the Vietnam War. An extended metaphor is a bit less argumentative, it just shows how things are related. The two terms are often casually used interchangeably.

FOG

Carl Sandburg

The fog comes
on little cat feet.

It sits looking
over harbor and city
on silent haunches
and then moves on.

Nothing Gold Can Stay
by
Robert Frost

Nature's first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf's a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day.
Nothing gold can stay.

caesura:

the pausing or stopping within a line of poetry caused by needed punctuation.

The punctuation within the lines (in this case, all commas) are the caesura, not the punctuation at the ends of the lines.

Miss Spider's Wedding by David Kirk

"They talked of all their dreams and hopes,

Of art and nature, love and fate.

They peered through toy kaleidoscopes

And murmured thoughts I shan't relate.

Then Holley held Miss Spider's hand...

I'll say no more, you understand.

For private moments between spiders

Should not be witnessed by outsiders."

I'M NOBODY! WHO ARE YOU?

Emily Dickenson

I'm nobody! Who are you?

Are you nobody, too?
Then there's a pair of us -- don't tell!
They'd advertise -- you know!

How dreary to be somebody!

How public like a frog

To tell one's name the livelong day

To an admiring bog!

enjambement:

the continuation of thought from one line of poetry to the next without punctuation needed at the end of the previous line(s).

Trees by Joyce Kilmer I think that I shall never see A poem lovely as a tree. A tree whose hungry mouth is prest Against the sweet earth's flowing breast; A tree that looks at God all day, And lifts her leafy arms to pray; A tree that may in summer wear A nest of robins in her hair; Upon whose bosom snow has lain; Who intimately lives with rain. Poems are made by fools like me, But only God can make a tree.

hyperbole:

extreme exaggeration for effect.

Hyperbole of My Dog
Little Girl is my dog. She sleeps like a log. She has a huge mouth, And eats like a hog In her excitement Her tail is a whip times ten. When she sees food Hers eyes start to spin.

metaphor:

the comparison of two unlike things by saying one is the other.

The Soul Selects Her Own Society

Emily Dickenson

The Soul selects her own Society —

Then — shuts the Door —

To her divine Majority —

Present no more —

Unmoved — she notes the Chariots — pausing —

At her low Gate —

Unmoved — an Emperor be kneeling

Upon her Mat —

I've known her — from an ample nation —

Choose One —

Then — close the Valves of her attention —

Like Stone —

THE BLUES

By Sierra Ceballos, age 8.

When you fall off a cliff and you get hit by a buffalo,

that's the blues.

When your chicken gets hit by a car and you're not that smart,

that's the blues.

When you fall in your chair and you lose all your hair and you lose your underwear,

that's the blues.

When you hit your head and your mom sends you to bed,

that's the blues.

metonymy:

onomatopoeia

oxymoron:

personification:

the giving of human traits to non-human things incapable of having those traits.

MASK FLING your red scarf faster and faster, dancer. It is summer and the sun loves a million green leaves, masses of green. Your red scarf flashes across them calling and a-calling. The silk and flare of it is a great soprano leading a chorus Carried along in a rouse of voices reaching for the heart of the world. Your toes are singing to meet the song of your arms: Let the red scarf go swifter. Summer and the sun command you.

symbol:

Other terms (not included in project or test):

elegy: a poem of lament (extreme sorrow, such as caused by death)

free verse: a poem without either a rhyme or a rhythm scheme, although rhyme may be used, just without a pattern.

blank verse: un-rhymed lines of iambic pentameter (ten syllables with all even numbered syllables accented)

imagery: the use of words to create a mental picture

mood: the emotional effect of a poem or a story

Understanding and using these devices and terms can help improve and strengthen poetry. Imagery is essential for vivid poetry, and devices help develop imagery.

The speaker: The speaker provides structure and uniformity to a poem. In this case the speakers point of view is first person point of view:

AZTEC MASK

I WANTED a man's face looking into the jaws and throat
of life
With something proud on his face, so proud no smash
of the jaws,
No gulp of the throat leaves the face in the end
With anything else than the old proud look:
Even to the finish, dumped in the dust,
Lost among the used-up cinders,
This face, men would say, is a flash,
Is laid on bones taken from the ribs of the earth,
Ready for the hammers of changing, changing years,
Ready for the sleeping, sleeping years of silence.
Ready for the dust and fire and wind.
I wanted this face and I saw it today in an Aztec mask.
A cry out of storm and dark, a red yell and a purple prayer,
A beaten shape of ashes
waiting the sunrise or night,
something or nothing,
proud-mouthed,
proud-eyed gambler.

Structure: The structure of the poems, changes its meaning.

Hiding in the Mask

By Ellen Bauer

(Dear reader:
This is a poem for two voices.
It is meant to be read with one voice reading the left side,
the other voice reading the right.
Whenever two sentences or words are on the same horizontal  level,
they are meant to be read at the same time.
When there is a blank on one side, that reader is quiet while the
other side reads, until there are words again.)

The masks we wear Hiding Ritual flames Eyes, in masks Are the only part That lives. Masks of Death Life Rain Summer Joy Fear Weeping Beneath the mask. Hiding Of the worshipped Bringing out Our hidden one. Some wear them From shame. Some wear them During joy, Celebration. But our masks, Bringing up Ancient Are ours. The masks we wear.

The masks we wear What? Reflecting in our eyes. Eyes, in masks Of our faces That lives. Life Death Summer Rain Fear Joy Hiding tears. Weeping Love, Of the worshipped Being. Bringing out Our soul. From shame. An ancient vow. During joy, A wedding Deep with mystery, Ancient Rituals, Are ours. The masks we wear.

x

SOW: Literary Tracking sheet

The Sound of Waves, by Yokio Mishima

Literary Devices Tracking Sheet

HA English 9

OReilly

 

A theme is an insight on life. The hidden meaning of the book. The ideas or morality underlying the plot. They are complex statements not single word topics.

 

Here are some more themes from The Sound of Waves stated in a thesis statement:

 

The natural state of human beings is to be essentially good; therefore, the noblest characters in the text The Sound of Waves have the closest ties to nature.

 

When people are essentially good and brave, they learn from their mistakes and make amends to those they have harmed.

 

Noble characters lack ego and are not concerned with their appearance, possessions, or the opinions of others; consequently, such noble souls selflessly serve others to the benefit of society.

 

Karma is at work in people’s lives, so selfless, courageous deeds are rewarded in the end, and selfishness and cowardice is punished with regret and personal pain.

 

There are other themes related to topics of courage, honour, nature, spirituality, selflessness, beauty, and self awareness. They all are insights on life—fundamental truths about human existence.

 

The following literary devices create and support theme:

 

• Characters represent and display aspects of human nature about which the author is trying to make a point. In The Sound of Waves, Shinju embodies the values of courage, honesty, selflessness, and closeness to nature.

 

• Motifs are repeating elements that support the tone or theme. Some motifs in Sound of Waves are nature, (waves, animals, insects, seaweed etc.) spirituality, selflessness, ego, karma, courage/cowardice, honour, self awareness, pessimism, optimism, simplicity, male/female roles, gossip, city life, thought, beauty, dirtiness, education  

 

• Symbols are images used to stand for something else, much like a flag stands for a country. In the text Sound of Waves, the lighthouse may stand for education as it casts a light on the bucolic life on the island.

 

• A metaphor is a comparison such as, “Life is a dream.”

 

• A simile is a comparison using like or as. “Her life is like a dream.”

 

• Personification uses human qualities to describe non-human objects such as saying that “the ocean roars.”

 

• Imagery creates strong mental images in the mind of the reader to vividly and graphically underscore theme and tone. “The halibut had already been placed on a white enamel platter, where it lay faintly gasping, blood oozing from its gills, streaking its smooth white skin.”  This is a vivid image that creates an ominous, helpless tone.

 

• Foreshadowing hints at coming events. The above quote could be foreshadowing indicating that the characters are about to be “caught” and will soon be helpless.

 

Your mission should you choose to accept it:

1. For each approximately 50 pages assigned, you will pick 2 theme qualities of your own or from the list above.
2. You will directly quote the text. Cite the page number. Block quotes of more than three lines are indented on each line with the period before the parenthesis.
3. You will state which literary devices or characters appear in the quote.
4. Write commentary on the quote showing how the quote reveals theme and the supporting literary devices. In your commentary, integrate short quotes and include the page number at the end of the commentary before the period. The commentary is in LP
5. Use the following format, and do it twice for each approximately 50 pages:

 

Pages 1-54

Theme

The natural state of human beings is to be essentially good; therefore, the noblest characters in the text The Sound of Waves have the closest ties to nature.

Quote from text and page number:

 

…Skin can be burned no darker by the sun than [Shinju’s] were burned...His dark eyes were exceedingly clear, but their clarity was not that of intellectuality—it was a gift that the sea bestows upon those who make their livelihood upon it….(6)

Literary devices supporting theme:

Vivid imagery, character, personification

Commentary:

Shinju is a character who, as a fisherman, lives close to nature, so the sea shapes his personality. At the same time, nature itself appears to have a personality and human qualities; the ocean “bestows” gifts, imbuing those who live close to it with a wisdom beyond “intellectuality”(6).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Africa Power Point

Things Fall Apart 5-2 Power Point Research Project

HA English 9

OReilly

Work in groups of two to five. One member of your group must have previous experience with the application Microsoft Power Point or the Google docs version of PowerPoint.

 

Choose a topic that you and your group will research. You will need to find five (5) key ideas (reasons, details, or facts) about your topic, and two (2) distinct examples or explanation of each key idea. (Yes, that is why it’s called a “5-2” project!)

Choose one of the following topics:

 

The Boar Wars
The Huguenots in South Africa
Bryce Courtney
Apartheid
The English/Dutch in South Africa

African religions

African mythology

African dancing

African rituals/mysticism

African masks

Tribal culture in Africa

African clothing

Missionaries  in Africa

African foods and recipes

African music, especially South African choirs

African art

Oral storytelling traditions

African folktales

African languages

Colonization of Africa

Something else? See me.

History of South Africa

The San Bushmen

Zulum Shangan, or some other African tribe

 

Your presentation must have at least twelve slides as described below:

5 points: Slide one introduces your topic and outlines the five key ideas that will be discussed in your presentation. (background, thesis, and plan). Include your full names and period number.

25 points: The next ten slides will present and describe five (5) key points about your topic and two (2) examples or explanations for each key idea (ten slides total). You will have at least two slides for each key idea, which contain your two explanations/examples in the form of brief, simple, bulleted explanations with an illustration, graphic, or visual aide. You may have more than ten slides, but no less.

10 points: You must have at least ten (10) illustrations as part of your ten slides

5 points: After your key idea and example slides, have a slide or two that discusses, with specific examples, your topic’s connection to the text The Power of One.

10 points: Turn in one hard copy of your Power Point presentation formatted as described by the librarian during your Power Point tutorial. Include your names and period number. Pay special attention to when the librarian describes how to save your work. If you don’t save your work correctly, you will be unable to present your power point. The librarian will also show you how to merge your work with your partners.

5 points: Works Cited: On the last page of your hard copy that you turn in when you present, using MLA format, include a final page listing the source/s of your information. You must have at least two sources. You need not cite the sources of your illustrations

10 points: Individual Score—Each person in your group must be responsible for and present one of the key ideas. Someone must also present the opening and concluding slide.

 

Due dates and time line:

 

__________________

Determine your topic and begin figuring out your five key ideas and who is responsible for each key idea.

____________________

• Research your group’s topic and create an outline with at five key ideas with two examples for each key idea that you will explore in your presentation. Find websites and/or URLs from which you can download illustrations and create your Works Cited and outline.

 

____________________

• Work on your power point in library

• Have your outline and Works Cited checked off

 

____________________

• Last day to work on your power point in library.

• Make sure you print up a properly formatted hard copy (see rubric)

 

____________________

• Assignment due: Present Power Points

• Turn in hard copy when presenting

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Extra Credit Assignments: Field Trip and Generic

HA English/Social Studies 9

OReilly/Levy

San Francisco Field Trip Assignment:

As you frolic through the museums and attractions of San Francisco, carry a notepad and complete the following assignment:

• Find five pieces of artwork that appeal to you and connect to something you have learned in either social studies or English this year.

• Take copious notes describing each work of art.

• Cite the artist, title, medium, date of the piece’s production, the museum in which you found it, and the artwork’s connection to your social studies or English class.

• After your return, write a paragraph, not a tasty paragraph, on each piece of artwork that includes the information in your notes. Please use the usual and required formatting

• Turn-in to Mrs. OReilly by the Friday following the field trip.

• Those who do not go on the field trip, please Google some African, Indian, or Asian art, and write down the information above. Please print out copies of the art with your responses.

Movie/Play/Whatever Generic Extra Credit Assignment

Write a tasty paragraph

5_______Your topic sentence states whether or not the play/film was entertaining or effective in getting its points or themes across. Your topic sentence should state the name of the play/movie/whatever.

15_______Three reasons (yellows) stating specifically how the play was or was not effective or entertaining.

15_______At least two specific, vivid, descriptive examples (reds) per each yellow explaining why the play/film was or was not effective or entertaining. Describe sets, direction, acting, costumes, or plot. Explain why you feel the way you do.

5_______Conclude. Restate your main idea and provide closure.

As always, properly format, color code, avoid errors in punctuation and grammar; use LP for movies, but not plays; and turn in with this rubric stapled to the top

Power of One Reading Activities

Power of One Reading Activities

English 9

OReilly

The Power of One is a coming of age story, a bildungsroman. In a story of this type, a young character matures and reaches a state of self-awareness. Peekay, the hero of The Power of One comes to terms with who he is, but like any hero, he has help.

As you read, keep track of Peekay's realizations and how he learns. Also keep track of any classical heroic elements you may encounter. Let's review the mythological traits of a classic hero.

unusual origin, birth, or childhood

friends or guides, close relationships, mentors, teachers

supernatural, mystical aid

darkness, pathos, difficulties, trials

long journey

special "super" qualities, strengths, or powers

defects of character

successes, setting and reaching goals

civic duty, the desire and ability to aid others and benefit society

For each fifty-eighty assigned (50-80) pages, you will find three quotes. These quotes must be examples of a lesson that Peekay learns as part of his bildungsroman AND/OR a classical heroic trait—see above—that Peekay is developing or exhibiting. You need at least one example of each, heroic trait and bilungsroman, for each fifty pages you are assigned.

Here is an example of what I want:

Pages 1-51

Heroic Trait: Unusual childhood/special quality of seeing beyond race

bildungsroman: Peekay, from the very beginning, has a close relationship with a Zulu woman, making him less inclined to racial prejudice. This is a lesson he knows from the start.

Quote: "Before my life started properly, I was doing the usual mewling and sucking, which in my case occurred on a pair of huge, soft black breasts. In the African tradition, I continued to suckle for my first two and a half years, after which my Zulu wet nurse became my nanny. She was a person made for laughter, warmth, and softness, and she would clasp me to her breast and clasp my golden curls with a hand so large, it seemed to palm my whole head" (3).

Note: This example serves for both bildungsroman and heroic trait. Some quotes might only work for one or the other. That is OK, but you must have an example for each included in your three quotes.

Rubric:

_______ At least three quotes taken from each 50-80 assigned pages.

_______ At least one quote reflects heroic trait. At least one quote reflects bildungsroman.

_______ Correctly format quotes and assignment, including page number as shown.

_______ Correctly format with proper heading, header, font type, and all usual and required formatting.

_______ Turn in on time with this rubric.

Keep up with these reading assignments. I will be randomly checking them.

Oh, Brother Where Art Thou? Extra Cre...

Oh, Brother Where Art Thou? Extra Credit Assignment
HA English 9
OReilly

10 extra credit participation points


Using your knowledge of the attributes of a Greek classic hero, write a tasty paragraph with a topic and conclusion, three key ideas, and plenty of examples.

Defend or refute the following statement:

The lead character in Oh, Brother Where Art Thou?, Ulysses McGill, is a classic hero.

2 points: Typed with the usual and required formatting
3 points: You have three key ideas showing how the character is or is not a classic hero. The traits you mention are traits of a hero as discussed in class and as listed on your hero chart.
3 points: you have plenty of specific examples for every key idea
2 points: Style and mechanics

Myth Research

Humanities Academy 9th Grade World Mythology Project

In addition to exploring Greek mythology, we will explore myths from around the world. For this research paper, choose a mythology or set of myths from a culture/region other than the Greek/Roman. Research as much as you can about your chosen mythology system or set of myths and present your findings in a research paper. It is quite possible that our school library will have limited print resources; therefore, be prepared to conduct some of your research at the public or Cabrillo libraries.
Key ideas you may wish to address in your research paper:
o The creation myth from your culture
o How and why procreation occurs
o Codes of behavior
o How evil entered the world
o The roles and purposes of heroes
o The origins of natural phenomena
o Themes of human experience: misfortune, success, cruelty, love, death, family relations, loyalty, betrayal, fate, war, madness, voyages, conflicts, youth, old age, beauty, jealousy, arrogance, wisdom, curiosity and temptation
o Ages and cycles of history and mankind
For some reason, one of the hardest tasks for HA9 students has been deciding what and how many key ideas they will write about. That is completely up to you; however, if you pick 4 (four) mythological elements such as the ones above, and if you write two paragraphs on each element, your paper will be long enough. You may wish to pick fewer elements and write more on each, or pick more and write less on each topic. Your choice. Ten paragraphs will result in a three to five page paper.

Mythology Research Paper Criteria: 80 points

8____ Your paper includes the primary myths of your chosen mythology and their meaning
5____ Three to five pages typed text in the proper format
12____ Minimum of six entirely different research sources in your Works Cited and in your paper:
o At least three from print, such as an encyclopedia, book, or periodical o The rest of your sources may be from websites
10______ A Bibliography with a minimum of three entries of any type: See handout "MLA Quickie Reference Guide."
10____ A minimum of ten different, properly cited quotes or paraphrases smoothly introduced into your writing using a variety of signal phrases. Type all your signal phrases in bold print. See handout "MLA Quickie Reference Guide."
5____ Your opening paragraph introduces your chosen mythology and the key ideas that will be discussed.
10____ Your body paragraphs each have topic sentences and clearly describe, with cited excerpts, examples, and explanations, the various key ideas which you have chosen to research.
5____ Your final paragraph summarizes your paper and shows how your mythology was significant to the culture from which it derived or to today’s culture. For instance, how did the mythology reflect and influence its society? How are the values inherent in the myths still influencing culture today?
10____ A correctly formatted Works Cited and a Bibliography (see MLA Quickie Reference handout) appear at the end of your paper
5____ Above and beyond your three to five pages of text, include two illustrations—self-created or from any source. Properly label your illustrations and cite their sources as per example provided.
As always, points are lost due to mechanics, usage, and grammar errors.
Turn-in your all drafts with this criteria sheet stapled on top with rough drafts underneath.


A label, title, or caption ordinarily appears directly below the illustration and have the same one-inch margins as the text of the paper. Label your illustration as Figure 1 or Fig. 1. Name as much about the illustration as you can ascertain in the following order: title of piece, artist, book where art appears, museum where art is housed, year of creation. See example below:


Mythology Sample Outline:

Opening paragraph: Brief Plan (one sentence), Thesis: introduce your mythology (Greek), Plan: The creation myth, the Titans, The Olympic Gods, Lovers Myths, and Hero Myths

Key idea 1: Creation myth
A. Body Paragraph 1: Father Son, Saturn, and Mother Earth, Gaia
B. Body Paragraph 2: Give birth to Cronus who destroys his father
Key Idea 2: The Titans
A. Body Paragraph 3: Prometheus
B. Body Paragraph 4: Epimetheus
Key Idea 3: The Olympian Gods
A. Body Paragraph 5: Zeus
B. Body Paragraph 6: Hera
Key Idea 4: Lover Myths
C. Body Paragraph 7: Cupid and Psyche
Key Idea 5: Heroes
C. Body Paragraph 8: Hercules

Closing paragraph: How the Greek myths affected Greek and Roman culture and the world today.

To write a three to five page paper, you will need around ten to twelve total paragraphs. Structure your paper any way you like, but do not exceed five pages.

LP in a research paper
HA English 9
OReilly

Part of your paper will be in literary present (LP) and part of it will be in historical past (HP).

When you are writing about how the ancient culture thought, acted, or behaved, you are writing about history, so use HP. When you are summarizing a myth, which is a form of literature, use LP.


The ancient Greeks believed in bravery, heroism, and the transcendence of human thoughts and endeavours. Since theirs was a culture of miraculous achievement and invention, they respected and adored the human capacity to achieve against all odds. This is clearly reflected in the labours of Hercules. Hercules, to atone for the sin of killing his wife and children, embarks on a series of labours: among these labours are the killing of the Neemean Lion, the destruction of the Hydra…

Mythology Research paper: writing examples
HA English 9
OReilly

Sample Opening:

Beginning with Homer approximately 3000 years ago, Greek and Roman mythology provides modern man with insight into the underpinnings of Western Civilization. Greek and Roman mythology includes a vast collection of magical tales that explain, instruct, and entertain. Chief among the stories are the dark and brooding creation myths; the tales of the mighty, doomed Titans; the capricious and violent Olympic gods, and the mystery cults.


Sample Body Paragraph with citation:

According to Ingri A’Aulaire in his text, Book of Greek Myths, for the Greeks, creation begins with love and the need for companionship. After Gaea, the Earth, emerges from the formless darkness, she is "young and lonesome, for nothing lived on her yet." As if in answer to her yearnings, Uranus, the sky, looms above her, and they are "joined in love" ( 2). The fruits of that love are the mighty Titans, the first generation of Greek gods.



In a later paragraph, if you use the same source, you need not introduce the book:


…Rhea, who has given birth to Zeus and is tired of her husband’s insatiable appetite for their children, asks her mother, "Mother Earth, to help her save the child from his father" (A’Aulaire 4).


Make sure you introduce the entire source, the medium as well as the author:

"In his online article, "The Greek Way," Charles Atkins asserts that….
The website, Roman Heroes acknowledges…
The article, "Greek and Roman Mythology" in the World Book Encyclopedia mentions.

Odyssey log

HA English 9
OReilly
The Odyssey: Your side of the story

It is not commonly known that a few students from Soquel High were actually in the boat when Odysseus sailed the Mediterranean in search of his home.  Actually, you were on the boat, you kept a log of the entire trip, and you are going to give it to me, so I can read all about it and give you a grade on it!

The focus of your log is Odysseus. You are just not sure what kind of man he is. Do you respect him? Are you afraid of him? Do you think he is a good leader? What are his negative and positive qualities? Every step of the journey, you watch him and discover new evidence of the complexity of this hero’s character. Perhaps, you are the ship psychiatrist or priest, and you take a special interest in the psyche or soul of the leader of this hazardous enterprise.

For thirty five homework points: The Odyssey Log
 4___________Your log is typed and double-spaced, with all the usual and required formatting. Stay up to date on your logs. They will be randomly checked.
6___________There is one entry per book, and it briefly (less than a page) tells the adventures contained in that book. You may wish to focus on one part of the book to keep your pacing lively and engaging.
6___________Each entry records your insights on Odysseus as a character. What do his actions tell you about his character?  Highlight the sentences that discuss Odysseus’s character.
4___________Your log is illustrated with at least two illustrations that relate to the story. These illustrations can be maps or photos of the area or renderings of the monsters and witches Odysseus encounters.  Illustrations may be self-created or come from any source.
5___________There are no comma errors, fragments, run-ons, or errors in mechanics. (The log is in HP).
5___________ This rubric is attached to the front of your log. Your diary is also proofread by two peers. They both sign and fill out the peer edit rubric. The peer edit rubric is stapled to the back of your diary with any preliminary drafts.
5__________For each book, you will use and underline five of the vocabulary words from that book. The vocabulary words are listed at the bottom of the pages in a box labeled "Words to Know."


For 15 Writing Points: The Tasty Paragraph—A Character Analysis:
10___________ Write this paragraph in LP. At the end of the journey, using your insights gathered during the trip, you reach a conclusion about Odysseus. Describe his personality in one cohesive paragraph with a topic sentence, conclusion, at least three key ideas, and plenty of specific examples and explanations. Please staple your paragraph to the front of your log as a kind of introduction. No 1PV, 2PV, comma errors or other nasty errors or transgressions. No more than one page please!!!!!!
5 points____________ Your topic sentence is a complex sentence beginning with a subordinate clause or a compound sentence with a conjunctive adverb.

First drafts: We will periodically proofread each other’s log, and there will be occasional checks to make sure you are up-to-date on your logs. Always bring your typed log to class.


    Here is an example tasty paragraph about Hercules. Your character analysis, of course, will be out Odysseus.
    Although Hercules is gifted with strength and bravery, his stupidity and impulsiveness often get him into hot water. Clearly, Hercules is brave and strong. He never hesitates to face danger and overcome immensely powerful foes. He performs the twelve labors, facing creation’s worst and most terrifying dangers without a thought for his safety. Despite these assets, Hercules often fails to comprehend reality. He shoots arrows at the sun in an attempt to stop its heat. On another occasion, he threatens to punish waves with his fists when his boat is violently rocking in heavy seas. Most tragically, however, Hercules’ impulsiveness leads him to kill others, including his loved ones. A short list of his victims includes his wife, his children, and an innocent messenger. He always regrets his hasty actions, but that never stops him from indulging in more rash behavior. Hercules is a powerful, brave, and hardy soul, but his mythical life story is a reminder that tremendous power must be tempered with self-restraint.

Notice please that this is all written in LP because it is about literature

Expand your hero paragraph to essay

Expand your hero paragraph to essay
HA English 9
OReilly

Using your hero paragraph you will write a hero essay

Create your opening paragraph

Add one to two sentences of background (Blues) to the top of your essay in the opening paragraph. Avoid obvious statements such as Everyone has heroes in his life. Heroes are everywhere, but one person really stands out to me as a hero. Provide true background. The classic hero possessed a host of powerful attributes that allowed him to achieve more than the average mortal. Add no more than one or two backgound sentences.

Following your background, in the opening paragraph, your paragraph topic becomes your thesis; just add a plan (both green)
Keep your topic sentence from your paragraph the same, or alter it slightly if you wish. This topic becomes your essay thesis. Then add a plan after the thesis. Your plan will briefly outline the topics in your body paragraphs: Your plan can be part of your thesis or added on as one separate sentence.

Example: My grandfather embodied aspects of classical heroism: bravery, wisdom, and pathos.

My grandfather was a powerful example of a classical hero. His life embodied the heroic traits of bravery, wisdom, and pathos. In both thesis/plans, you can see that the body paragraphs will be about bravery, wisdom, and pathos.
Create your three body paragraphs

Use your three key ideas (yellows) from your paragraph to be the topic sentences for your three body paragraphs.
Keep your examples (reds) for the reds in your body paragraphs and add at least two more per paragraph to flesh out your body paragraphs.
Create your conclusion paragraph

Use your conclusion sentence from your paragraph for your essay concluding paragraph and add at least one sentence to provide closure and give your reader something to think about.

Specific Examples (reds) for the key idea (yellow) My grandfather was brave:

This is not a specific example:
My grandfather always had a lot of courage. He was not afraid to face anything. He was never afraid to do what he had to do.

This is specific:
My grandfather left his comfortable life in England and crossed the Atlantic to seek a better life. Along the way, his ship nearly sank in a terrible storm, but he never considered turning back. When he arrived, he was penniless and unemployed, but he never complained and bravely went out everyday looking for work.

Hero paragraph

Hero paragraph
HA English 9
OReilly

Write a paragraph about a hero that you know. This can be a family member, celebrity, or political figure. The paragraph must show how this person embodies some of the classic attributes of a hero as discussed in class. Refer to your hero chart if you cannot recall what these qualities are.

Forty five Points: Essay Writing
5_________Yellows: Paragraph must discuss at least three heroic qualities (three key ideas: reasons, details, facts).
5_________Reds: You must give at least two examples for each key idea. Clearly show with vivid, specific examples why this person is a hero to you.
5_________Greens: You must have a topic sentence and a conclusion.
5_________ Use three juicy transitions. No first, second, third, firstly, secondly, finally or lastly—especially lastly.
5_________Proper formatting: proper heading, running header, double space, 12 point font, Times New Roman
5 ______Punctuation and Mechanics: No CFB, CIE, CNE, IS, or CS
5_______Style: 1 PV is OK only if you personally know the hero. Watch out for 2PV, NC, WCL, SW, VPR etc.
5_______ Use at least one conjunctive adverb with a semicolon. Underline it.
5 _______ Colour code your paragraph, circle your transitions, underline your conjunctive adverb semicolon, turn this rubric in with your paragraph.

To get full points on the above rubric, consider the following point allocation:

5     student has mastery of element
4     Student has occasional errors
3     Student seems to understand the concept of this writing element, but fails to apply it about half the time
2     Student’s work shows a little knowledge of this writing element, but she/he seldom applies the concept
1     Student generally does not understand this writing element and does not incorporate it into his writing in any meaningful or consistent way. Element may appear once or twice.
0     This writing element is completely absent   


 

Renaissance Faire Extra Credit Assign...

Renaissance Faire Extra Credit Assignment
English 9
OReilly

As you frolic through the faire, seek to discern two facts about the Renaissance that you see reflected in some activity, game, or character. Write a tasty paragraph about these two facts about the Renaissance.

__________ Green Topic sentence: Let's make your topic sentence a power compound sentence with either a FANBOY or a conjunctive adverb.
__________Have two yellow key ideas: details or facts that you observed that were related to Renaissance life.
__________ Reds: At least three vivid, descriptive, and specific examples or explanations. Wax luscious and lyrical. Use  simile and metaphor.  Show me what you saw.
__________ Avoid ET, SW, WCL, comma and punctuation errors. Write like a monarch, not a peasant.

People who don't go to the faire--you sad serfs--must research three facts about the Renaissance and write the same paragraph.

Zeus’s lovers: power point questions

Zeus’s lovers: the source of all things Greek
Power Point Presentation Study Sheet
HA English 9
La Conquistadora OReilly

Name ____________
Date ____________
period____________

As you watch my presentation, try to answer the following:

1)  Zeus became angry at mankind and sent a ______________________ killing everyone but Deucalion and Pyrrha.

2)  When Deucalion threw the bones of mother earth over his back, they were ____________, and from them ____________ grew. From Pyrrha’s grew____________ and from Deucalion’s grew____________.

3) Zeus +Metis =_______________

4) Athena was born from ________________________. This symbolizes Zeus’s innate___________.

5) Zeus + Themis=______________________________________________________

6) Eurynome + Zeus =__________________________


7) The three graces brought ________________________, charm, and grace into the world.

8) Zeus +Memory =_______________


9) The daughters of Zeus that inspired mankind to create ________________________ are the ________________________.

10) Zeus + Leto = _______________ and ________________.


11) The twins, _______________________ and ________________________, children of _______________________  slew the fourteen children of _______________________.


13) Zeus + Semele=___________________________

14) _______________________ was born from Zeus’s leg.


15) Zeus raped his sister and queen of the gods, _________________, by turning into a __________________


16) Zeus rapes _______________ in the form of a cloud.

17) Zeus, in the form of Artemis, + Callisto = The constellation _________________________

17) Semele + Zeus =_______________

18) Zeus, in the form of a ________________ + Leda=_______________, who caused the _______________.

19) Maia + Zeus =_______________

20) Zeus’s chose _______________________to be the mother of the greatest hero ever.

Extra Credit:
Draw a god

 

Insults, Puns, and Iambic Pentameter Dialogue

Insults and Puns
This will be a punny assignment

In groups of no more than three

• Write a short dialogue and memorize it. (5 points)
• Your dialogue must contain a total of three Shakespearean insults. (5 points)
• Your dialogue must contain a total of three Shakespearean puns. (10 points)
• Each person must have at least two lines written in iambic pentameter (5 points)
• Make an extra copy to turn in with all your names, period numbers, proper formatting, and this rubric. (5 points)
• Every person in your group must wear a costume. A paper hat is not a costume.
• Write in the scansion on your lines written in iambic pentameter. Use the formula below. (5 points)

Wilt THOU be GONE it IS not YET near DAY?
It WAS the NIGHTing GALE and NOT the LARK,
That PIERCED the FEARul HOLlow OF thine EAR

the nice glossary

The Nice Glossary NAC/NCR	A set of acronyms defining what works in your writing Nice Abstract Concept: Creative, a different way of thinking. You had an idea
NAL	Nice ALliteration: So Sweet the sound of first letters softly synchopating.
NE	Nice Ending: A Resolution, a denouement. I wasn't left hanging. Or if I was, it worked
NDT	Nice Detail: A  correctly chosen word or phrase can paint an entire picture.
ND	Nice Dialogue: Dialogue can capture a situation or an idea. Funny, typical, to the point lines...they bring writing alive: "Here's looking at yah, kid."
NF	Nice Funny: Thank you. I laughed.
NI	Nice Imagery: The trees, yellow silver in the falling light. The wind smells of fall and apples. The summer feels like life never ends. The slanted light of fall reminds us that we all die, but somehow, like ripened apples, the taste of fall is sweet.
NN	Nice names: Dimsdale is dim. Chillingworth is scary (chilly) Romeo is romantic. Names mean something
NO	Nice Opening; A good opening says a lot. It's the first impression. Make it tasty.
NOn	Nice Onemonapeia: Doink, whoosh, ribbit, boing,
NP	Nice Phrasing: You turned a phrase. The words caught in a lovely congruence.
NPT	Nice Plot Turn: This is not boring. The plot is interesting, and the story is going somewhere. Good pacing.
NPer	Nice Personification: The wind knows you are a good writer, and the sun loves your writing. The stones sing your songs. The trees whisper your words.
NV	Nice Voice: Perhaps the most abstract yet powerful element to effective writing. Your particular style and stamp, your personality, your very soul's passion coming through in your writing.